• ATP Tour

Nadal threatens blue-clay boycott

ESPN staff
May 11, 2012
Rafael Nadal struggles to get to grips with the blue clay © PA Photos
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World No. 2 Rafael Nadal has suggested that if Madrid Open organisers persist with the blue clay surface next year he will snub the event.

Nadal's comments came after he was bundled out of this year's tournament courtesy of a 6-3 3-6 7-5 loss to Fernando Verdasco on Thursday. In the latest attack on the controversial playing surface, Nadal says he will not play in his nation's capital until organisers cease using the slippery blue clay.

"If things continue, [there] will be one less tournament in my calendar," Nadal said. "The movements are important for me and here I cannot move so I cannot hit the ball the way that I want.

"I think the tournament is great but that [changing the courts] is a bad decision. If you put the Cincinnati tournament on grass just before the US Open, do you think people are going to be happy? I don't think so.

"I am not prepared to risk something happening next year if nothing changes."

Roger Federer, who has also publicly criticised the blue clay, will now displace Nadal as world No. 2 if he goes on to win the event. The Swiss would first need to beat Novak Djokovic, though, who echoed Nadal's assessment of the surface after his 7-6 6-4 victory over Stanislas Wawrinka.

"You are tripping and slipping and sliding all the time and the winner will be the one who doesn't get hurt until the end of the week because a lot of players fell down," Djokovic said.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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