Daniil Medvedev sounds off on 'slow' Shanghai courts moments after opening win

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Daniil Medvedev is seemingly very disappointed with one thing in his return to the Shanghai Masters as the Russian suggests the court conditions in Shanghai might be slower than in Indian Wells. Earlier this year, Medvedev delivered two stunning rants about the slow court conditions at the Indian Wells Masters, saying it was "a freaking disgrace to call this court a hard court." This week, the Shanghai Masters officially returned to the ATP calendar and is having its first edition since 2019.

Medvedev, the 2019 Shanghai champion, had a first-round bye before he started his campaign with a 6-3 6-3 win over Cristian Garin on Saturday. "To go back-to-back tournaments so fast, different balls, different surface. So that's very tricky.

Before (Shanghai) was probably one of the fastest (courts) on the Tour. Now I don't know where's slower, here or (in) Indian Wells. So, yeah, it is what it is. Have to play like this. I mean I managed to, even on slow hard courts this season to play well, so that's what I'm going to do," Medvedev said after his opening win in Shanghai.

Defending champ from 2019, Daniil Medvedev says that the Shanghai court, usually one of the fastest on tour, is now maybe slower than... Indian Wells.

Oh gosh... https://t.co/9PJMhr57f8 — José Morgado (@josemorgado) October 7, 2023

Medvedev claims the court conditions in Shanghai are slow now

Medvedev, who has never hidden the fact that he is not really a big fan of slow surfaces, absolutely lost it during this year's Indian Wells Masters.

When voicing his frustration with the court conditions in Indian Wells, Medvedev was brutally honest. "Should be banned from playing here. Freakin' disgrace to the sport. This freakin' court, man. They call it hard court. What a shame to call this awful court a hard court.

I’ll go to the toilet, but I don’t care, give me a time violation. I’m going to be as slow as this court, again. I don't care. Give me five time violations. I'll go in one minute. If they allow us to play on such a court then I can allow myself to do whatever I want," Medvedev ranted in Indian Wells earlier this year.

Medvedev then went on to reach the Indian Wells final, before losing to Carlos Alcaraz. In Shanghai, Medvedev has progressed to the third round, where he plays next against Sebastian Korda.