The Indian Wells surface has been a big topic of discussion since the days leading up to the start of the tournament. Through this controversial decision, the organizers of the first Masters 1000 of the season hoped to make the courts faster after 25 years, with the clear intention of increasing the spectacle for fans.
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Due to a number of factors, this goal has not been achieved, and numerous players have complained about such conditions.
Serbian legend Novak Djokovic harshly criticized the surface after being eliminated in the second round, having struggled a lot to manage the rebounds as certified by the 37 unforced errors made against Botic van de Zandschulp on Saturday.
Even Daniil Medvedev finalist in California in the last two editions admitted that the courts have become even slower than in the past and that it is almost impossible to make winners in these conditions.
Shelton is playing very well
One of the players who seems to be most comfortable is Ben Shelton, who put in a really good performance in his first match here and is ready to take advantage of the chance to go far in a very prestigious tournament.
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Theyre bouncy, he said on court after his first match at Indian Wells. I think my serve bounces up.
I get liveliness out of the ball even when its a bit colder at night. Conditions are different every week. Youve got to be able to adapt and adjust. All the greats are able to do that.
You just have to keep an open mind and put work in the practice court every day to try to get more acclimated. For me I got here early. I put in a lot of work the last seven days. Happy to see some of it pay off today he added.
The American ace will face Karen Khachanov in the third round, in a really tough match that will allow everyone to understand if Ben is really ready to take flight.
