wangs78
Legend
I am surprised he is still playing. Other than the Big 4, I don’t think any other top 10 from pre-2010 is still active.
Richard Gasquet: "We have a problem since COVID, all the balls are slower there is no longer any doubt about it."
- Thread starter Silverbullet96
- Start date
travlerajm
Talk Tennis Guru
Nadal’s MO is to complain after the first round that he can’t control the balls at all, that they are terrible. That they favor flat hitters. Then go and win the tournament.
Znak
Hall of Fame
ichaseballs
Professional
Gasquet, Stan, and Murray all text each other. (about retiring and other things)
Old man encouragement group
FIRETennis
Professional
Actually Dunlop changed factories during covid from Thailand to Phillipines.
I noticed the 'new' balls fuzz up very quicky and felt quickly shreds off the rubber.
Definitely some quality control issues.
I had some pre-COVID cans from Thailand of the "same ball", the Dunlop ATP blue metal can, and they feel much different, better quality and no fuzz up/felt issues.
I noticed the 'new' balls fuzz up very quicky and felt quickly shreds off the rubber.
Definitely some quality control issues.
I had some pre-COVID cans from Thailand of the "same ball", the Dunlop ATP blue metal can, and they feel much different, better quality and no fuzz up/felt issues.
Aestheticsaboveallelse
Legend
I guess this is why Dunlop AO balls are bad now and great when I tried once in late 2020
FIRETennis
Professional
Check the can if you can, see where they are made...
Bill Lobsalot
Hall of Fame
Everyone is practicing and playing the same balls. Deal with it.
DSH
Talk Tennis Guru
MichaelNadal
Bionic Poster
This right here
Aestheticsaboveallelse
Legend
GOOD DARN POINT
Chanwan
G.O.A.T.
Yeah - and will this lead to more and more injuries?
socallefty
G.O.A.T.
I don’t see this issue of balls becoming slower with the cans we use at the rec level that are labeled the same as used on the pro tour - Dunlop AO, Penn Tour, Wilson USO etc. Dunlop AO is slower and fluffs up more than the other balls which is what the AO players were complaining about.
If the balls on the pro tour are slower in general as Gasquet says, then this must be a deliberate move by the ATP to slow down the game even further rather than some manufacturing change caused by the pandemic. If it was the second case, we would notice the trend with rec balls also.
If the balls on the pro tour are slower in general as Gasquet says, then this must be a deliberate move by the ATP to slow down the game even further rather than some manufacturing change caused by the pandemic. If it was the second case, we would notice the trend with rec balls also.
optic yellow
Legend
Wilson Triniti doesn't have this problem they should all switch to using those.
yourtennisfit
Semi-Pro
He said light and fast - Triniti is like a cannonball
optic yellow
Legend
Oh I must have misread him because I associate light and fast with the flimsy low quality he is whining about.
Maybe try to understand his point and learn to read - which was nothing to do with a fast forehand.
The balls only affect grand slam winners. Otherwise they weight the same and play the same for everyone else.Gasquet guy never won anything anyway. How would the balls affect him at all?
yourtennisfit
Semi-Pro
Yeah I wasn't sure at first either - but I remember the old AO balls, they were light but had super sturdy felt.
Dominic & Andrey
Legend
Maybe try to get rid of the giant stick you seem to have up your *ss ?
optic yellow
Legend
Oh well then they could just use the Triniti felt on a regular core because there is nothing too special about Triniti felt aside from how durable it is.
You need better education and manners
WYK
Hall of Fame
Everyone has been complaining, even Djokovic, Murray, Nadal, etc etc.
Yup, just keep repeating that old hat. But, as we all know, if only he had a better forehand maybe he could have reached the French #1 and top ten in the world/ATP in tennis.
Hell, maybe even get him an Olympic medal? Maybe he'd have 4 singles titles instead of his 16, more like Jack Sock and his forehand do?
Oh wait, he did.
Gasquet does not have a bad forehand. What Gasquet has is a backhand so literally Godlike that people think his forehand isn't good enough, when obviously it is.
Wow, Talk Tennis is gonna Talk Tennis...
Dominic & Andrey
Legend
My post about Gasquet was a mere joke (not funny perhaps), I think most posters read it that way, it's a tennis forum not everyone has to be dead serious all the time, lot of people here sometimes make silly posts that are not meant to be offensive, I wasn't trying to be rude to Gasquet.
Dominic & Andrey
Legend
I think Gasquet is a very talented player, and my post was not supposed to be taken that seriously. However I do think Gasquet's FH is not that great compared to other top players. When watching highlights from early in his career, I think he could often play aggressively from this side, but later on he kinda lost that hability for me.
Aestheticsaboveallelse
Legend
No kidding so stupid that people just insult them for complaining.
Aestheticsaboveallelse
Legend
No you were completely serious, you are evil and trying to hide it. (Jk)
socallefty
G.O.A.T.
Other pros were complaining specifically about the Dunlop AO balls used in this year’s AO being worse than the Dunlop AO balls used in previous years. They said it fluffed up and became slow much faster than in the past. For what it’s worth, the AO organizers insisted that the balls were the same as in prior years and there was no change in specs this year. Dunlop AO balls that we use at the rec level have fluffed up a lot for the past few years also just like the pros described and players don’t want to use it at our club as a result. So were this year‘s AO balls worse than usual as the players insist or were they the same ‘fluffy’ Dunlop AO balls as always like the organizers insist? I don’t know how this can be resolved.
Gasquet seems to be making a more general complaint that the balls used at all tournaments have been slower since the pandemic started three years ago and I have not heard other players talking about this more general issue. I have not noticed it at the rec level either with Penn Tour or Wilson USO balls as they seem the same as before the pandemic. I assume that the pro tournaments get special batches that are not identical to what is sold to rec players. So it should not be connected to the comments about the AO balls and one wonders if the ATP is slowing down balls further on purpose to have longer rallies.
Gasquet seems to be making a more general complaint that the balls used at all tournaments have been slower since the pandemic started three years ago and I have not heard other players talking about this more general issue. I have not noticed it at the rec level either with Penn Tour or Wilson USO balls as they seem the same as before the pandemic. I assume that the pro tournaments get special batches that are not identical to what is sold to rec players. So it should not be connected to the comments about the AO balls and one wonders if the ATP is slowing down balls further on purpose to have longer rallies.
AM75
Hall of Fame
I mean Gasquet also won his first tournament in ages with new balls. (Pun not intended).
socallefty
G.O.A.T.
I just did some googling and found out that all the European clay tournaments before the FO switched to Dunlop ATP balls in 2020 which are similar to the Dunlop AO balls in terms of being heavy and fluffing up too soon. In addition, Roland Garros switched from lighter Babolat balls to Wilson Roland Garros balls in 2020 that players complained were heavier and lower bouncing. So, the ball brand change to heavier balls at least through the first half of the year from Australia to Paris might be why Gasquet is complaining and it may not be a COVID-related manufacturing change.
As far as I know the Penn Tour balls used in US hard court tournaments and Wilson USO balls used at the USO are not being complained about by other players. The Fall indoor tournaments also use Dunlop balls although I don’t know when they changed to them.
As far as I know the Penn Tour balls used in US hard court tournaments and Wilson USO balls used at the USO are not being complained about by other players. The Fall indoor tournaments also use Dunlop balls although I don’t know when they changed to them.
What Are The Tennis Balls Used at Grand Slams and Masters Tournaments?
The fluorescent yellow colored tennis balls are universally used on all the tennis courts, and different tennis tournaments have different ball sponsors.
www.essentiallysports.com
Fintft
G.O.A.T.
Why not Dunlop Clay Fort?I just did some googling and found out that all the European clay tournaments before the FO switched to Dunlop ATP balls in 2020 which are similar to the Dunlop AO balls in terms of being heavy and fluffing up too soon. In addition, Roland Garros switched from lighter Babolat balls to Wilson Roland Garros balls in 2020 that players complained were heavier and lower bouncing. So, the ball brand change to heavier balls at least through the first half of the year from Australia to Paris might be why Gasquet is complaining and it may not be a COVID-related manufacturing change.
As far as I know the Penn Tour balls used in US hard court tournaments and Wilson USO balls used at the USO are not being complained about by other players. The Fall indoor tournaments also use Dunlop balls although I don’t know when they changed to them.
What Are The Tennis Balls Used at Grand Slams and Masters Tournaments?
The fluorescent yellow colored tennis balls are universally used on all the tennis courts, and different tennis tournaments have different ball sponsors.www.essentiallysports.com
Lucky my club and income source have exclusive sponsorship with Dunlop racquets only!
we use Yonex pressureless balls most of the time except before tournaments.
You can see the balls exploding felt fibres everywhere on any slow motion video these days
and even anyone can notice the debris if you pay attention, should be a health hazard issue.
supply issue makes no sense as we are in the 21st century with robots in assembly lines
and ball quality everywhere is pathetic.
we use Yonex pressureless balls most of the time except before tournaments.
You can see the balls exploding felt fibres everywhere on any slow motion video these days
and even anyone can notice the debris if you pay attention, should be a health hazard issue.
supply issue makes no sense as we are in the 21st century with robots in assembly lines
and ball quality everywhere is pathetic.
Aestheticsaboveallelse
Legend
This post deserves the likes of the entire forum
PerilousPear
Professional
Maybe other players do have a problem with balls, but the main problem for Gasquet are the hip injuries from all the bending over he did when he saw the Nadal on the other side of the net.
Silverbullet96
Hall of Fame
initialize
Hall of Fame
Why are all the Djokodal fanboys complaining of Gasquet's complaint?
Electron microscopy is black and white yet image of the fictionally claimed invisible enemy, looks healthier than current Dunlop balls
in modern manufacturing, low production numbers always means higher quality product like lexus luxury cars or Nole's racquet
The moves to slower the balls, players like Djoko, Paolo Lorenzi, Simon, Meds and Murray would never retire or return with zest
50yo Nadal could come out of a 10 year hiatus win RG by 2036, as by then China will own and rename to Dunflops made in Uganda.
This is because The Dunlop Japan Racquet Co. and ATP's shares will be sold to distance themselves from the toxic balls.
in modern manufacturing, low production numbers always means higher quality product like lexus luxury cars or Nole's racquet
The moves to slower the balls, players like Djoko, Paolo Lorenzi, Simon, Meds and Murray would never retire or return with zest
50yo Nadal could come out of a 10 year hiatus win RG by 2036, as by then China will own and rename to Dunflops made in Uganda.
This is because The Dunlop Japan Racquet Co. and ATP's shares will be sold to distance themselves from the toxic balls.
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Znak
Hall of Fame
chuckersthenut
Hall of Fame
As a rec player, tennis ball quality has gone down tremendously.
I purchased a case of Wilson Extra Duty and every ball was flat. I suspect it was poor handling somewhere in the shipping process. A couple weeks later I bought a case of Dunlop balls and it was the same issue.
How's that great reset working for ya'll? Just seems to me the wrong people are being put in the wrong places. And that goes for every fabric of our global society post covid.
I purchased a case of Wilson Extra Duty and every ball was flat. I suspect it was poor handling somewhere in the shipping process. A couple weeks later I bought a case of Dunlop balls and it was the same issue.
How's that great reset working for ya'll? Just seems to me the wrong people are being put in the wrong places. And that goes for every fabric of our global society post covid.
jackson vile
G.O.A.T.
It’s ALWAYS been the balls!!!
ChrisJR3264
Hall of Fame
I too am noticing the Dunlop e tees duty and pen extra duty balls are heavier and lacking pressure in most of the cans opened.
I’ve switched to tecnifibre champion hard court balls. They’re ok. The felt doesn’t stay on as long but they maintain pressure and aren’t as heavy.
