ROME — Alexander Zverev didn’t mince words following his Rome Masters quarterfinal clash against Lorenzo Musetti, offering candid criticism of both his opponent’s tactics and the tournament’s playing conditions.
After falling short in a tightly contested match, Zverev acknowledged Musetti’s consistency on clay but suggested the Italian’s success hinges more on his opponent’s missteps than offensive prowess.
“He relies very much on defense. He relies very much on other opponents’ errors,” Zverev explained in the post-match press conference. “Today was not easy for me to play winners. It was very slow, very, very heavy.”
Even with several set points early in the first set—three or four by his estimation—Zverev was unable to close out the win, blaming missed chances partly on the slow conditions. “Normally, I should win this set, and then we’ll see,” he mused. “Like I said, it was tough today.”
Heavy Conditions and Controversial Balls in Rome
One of the biggest points of discussion for Alexander Zverev was the condition of the balls played in Rome, which he severely labeled “a joke.” In the opinion of the German, the balls considerably influenced play as they became larger and made rallies drag on.
“This is a topic we’ve had in the last three, four years now. Players are always talking about it,” Zverev said. “They say that we play with the same ball in Monaco, Madrid, Munich. Then we travel here, and the ball is completely different.”
The significantly heavier balls, he maintained, removed one of his top assets—aggression. He added, “For my game style, today was not easy because I try to play aggressively, serve very fast. It’s difficult to get free points.”
Zverev has lost to Musetti already three times during his career, but Friday’s quarterfinal was a one-of-a-kind combination of tactical exasperation and environmental grievance.
As he paid tribute to the determination of Lorenzo Musetti, the World No. 2 was adamant in identifying conditions that, to his mind, suppressed top-flight tennis.
With clay season now in full swing and Roland Garros looming, look for ongoing debate regarding equipment standards—and whether adjustments are warranted to provide consistency across tournaments.
