During his fourth-round match against Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev unleashed a rant on the courts at Indian Wells.
Medvedev showed his clear disagreement with the way the courts in the Indian Wells Tennis Garden play, and it also wasn't the first time that he did it at this year's event. In his previous meeting against Ilya Ivashka, he joked that he's going to pee as slowly as the courts play and he used the same metaphor also when he complained during the fourth-round match.
The Russian lost the first set to Zverev in a tie-break when he wanted to vent and share his thoughts about the courts. Umpire Renaud Lichtenstein closely listened but didn't react in any way to Medvedev's comments.
"It's a disgrace to the sport this court. Should be banned from playing here. Freaking disgrace to the sport, this freaking court. And they call it hardcourts. What a shame to call this court a hardcourt."
Medvedev's tantrum was an obvious demonstration of his displeasure with the court, which he believed was slowing down play and preventing him from playing his typical style of tennis. Some players have complained over the Indian Wells court surface in the past, with some contending that it is too slow.
"I'm going to toilet but I don't care if you give me time violation. I am going to be as slow as these courts. I don't care. Give me five time violations. If they allow us to play on such courts, then I can allow myself to do whatever I want."
The introduction of a more uniform playing surface across all competitions might be one answer to Medvedev's questions. By doing so, the problem of players having to adapt to various court speeds and styles of play would be resolved, potentially creating a more even playing field.
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