Badosa backs Swiatek's criticism of lighter balls
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NEW YORK • World No. 4 Paula Badosa has supported Iga Swiatek's critical comments regarding different tennis balls being used at the US Open for men's and women's competitions, saying it counts against both the female players and the show.
Swiatek said on Wednesday she did not like the balls set to be used at the Aug 29-Sept 11 Grand Slam, which are lighter for women than those for men.
The Pole, a two-time French Open champion, added that the female players make more mistakes while playing with them, and she doubted that for fans it was "nice to watch visually".
"Very much agree," Spain's Badosa said, hailing the words of the world No. 1 on Instagram on Friday, placing her comments over a screenshot of Swiatek's statement.
"Very unfavourable conditions for the players and for the spectacle," she wrote, even adding a poop emoji for emphasis.
"Then we complain that there are a lot of errors and there's a loss of tactics and intelligence on points. (While what we deal with is) faster courts and balls impossible to control."
On Wednesday, Badosa lost to Australian Ajla Tomljanovic in the second round of the Cincinnati Open, the last warmup event before the US Open.
Swiatek was ousted in the third round by American Madison Keys, who then swept past Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina 6-2, 6-4 on Friday and into the semi-finals.
Keys, winner of the Cincinnati title in 2019, was in action yesterday against Czech Petra Kvitova, who beat Tomljanovic in the quarter-finals. Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka took on France's Caroline Garcia in the other last-four match.
In the men's draw, world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas advanced to a semi-final showdown yesterday after both dismissed American opponents.
Top seed Medvedev fired 18 aces among 30 winners in a 7-6 (7-1), 6-3 defeat of Taylor Fritz in their quarter-final clash.
Tsitsipas, semi-finalist at the last two editions, weathered a brief first-set rain interruption on the way to his 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 6-3 defeat of John Isner.
British No. 1 Cameron Norrie held off third seed Carlos Alcaraz to claim a 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (4-7), 6-4 win and book his place in the other semi-final, in which he will face Borna Coric after the Croat saw off Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 6-4.
REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
CINCINNATI OPEN
Singles finals: Men (Singtel TV Ch127 & StarHub Ch211, tomorrow, 4.30am) and women (StarHub Ch201, tomorrow, 2am)
