Nadal welcomes criticism of the Madrid tournament

MADRID .- The day of the inaugural tournament in Madrid, a "mini Grand Slam 'cutting futuristic tennis installed in a new dimension, was overshadowed by the harsh criticism of the Spanish Rafael Nadal. The number one hard palabas devoted to the game and intend to try a blue track to replace the usual red clay.

"The facilities, however, are still a little messy, I think. the ball bounces are complicated at the moment. Yesterday and today I practiced and the court had enough bad bounces, and if we add the height of Madrid it makes for complicated play" said the Spanish.

The attempt of Madrid to create a blue surface to replace the usual orange was also criticized by the Mallorcan. The organizers had intended to play the entire tournament in blue, but they eventually had to settle for having only one training court with that color. "Be as perfect as it is and how good I am still totally against it," said Nadal.

"Everybody can get it right or wrong," said Manolo Santana with a serious gesture, director of the tournament, when asked about what the world number one said. The golf tournament Central is named for Santana, the best tennis player in Spanish history until the emergence of Nadal.

Santana acknowledged that the tournament promoted by the Romanian Ion Tiriac failed in his attempt to blow a strong media impact with the creation of blue clay courts to replace the traditional orange. "The 'timing' was not the correct one, we hasten. But we want to do, Madrid always stood out for being innovative. I do not think in the past, I think in the future."

But Nadal highlights the past. "The tour is historic ground, the earth is red, not blue, tennis is not just 'show business', there are more things to appreciate, history and tradition. It is something that is emblematic scenery in the world of sport are preserved." "In my humble opinion the court should be red as it has always been. If we put weird stuff given that the following week is Roland Garros, I see it complicated. But we know that sometimes there are things that happen in front of Tradition and history, I'm confident that this time it's not good."

"I loved the tournament in Madrid as it was before," insisted Nadal, sponsored by Mapfre, rival insurer Mutua Madrileña, the main 'sponsor' of the tournament. Madrid was played up in autumn 2008 and on the surface quickly. The new tournament, a true "mini Grand Slam 'is much larger, is played on clay and brings together the best rackets of the ATP and WTA.

Of 2.270 million dollars in prizes distributed jumped to 7.2 million. The star of the Magic Box is the central stadium with sliding roof and capacity for 12,000 spectators. There are two technically identical, with the possibility of accommodating 3,500 and 2,500 people. The surface area increased from 30,000 to 83,500 square meters.

Despite the impact of the scene, Nadal does not like the tournament finished six days before the start of Roland Garros, the top tournament on clay and one of the four Grand Slam, where he will seek his fifth consecutive title. "I have no doubt that the facilities are the best there is in the circuit, but the last tournament before Roland Garros is a little change in height of the situation. If Rome was the last tournament before Paris would be most suitable conditions, but there is now one week before, so no problem with that."

Nadal was not there. In the first press conference of a new player in the Magic Box, a key stage of the candidature of Madrid at the Olympic Games in 2016, drove overland Madrid any possibility that one day aspire to host a Grand Slam. "The four Grand Slam, you think that you could put five? Sure Madrid is a great tournament, but Rome and Monte Carlo are also big tournaments. Tradition indicates that there are four, not five."

Santana acknowledged that talks with Rome to change the date of Madrid, said not having commented on the criticism that Nadal was the tournament and dismissed the height of Madrid, just over 500 meters, is a problem. "There is a complex with the height of Madrid. I was a player and it never affected me. Many Spanish players have won the tournament in Gstaad, which is played at 1000 meters in height."

Rafael Nadal nie lubi grać w Madrycie, o czym przekonujemy się czytając powyższą krytykę. Kluczowa wydaje się być wysokość na jakiej położona jest stolica Hiszpanii. Naszła mnie taka refleksja, czy nie lepiej dla Hiszpanów byłoby przenieść turniej Masters do Barcelony? Reprezentanci tego kraju znakomicie tam się czują, no i tradycja hiszpańskiej gry na cegle wiąże się raczej z tym katalońskim miastem niż ze stolicą wiodącego kraju na Półwyspie Iberyjskim.

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