Djokovic lashes out at blue clay, seeks Chuck Norris’s advice

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Published time: May 09, 2012 09:52
Edited time: May 09, 2012 13:58

The world’s best tennis player, Novak Djokovic, has described the brand new – blue – clay court at the Madrid Masters as "impossible".

­Djokovic beat home crowd favorite Daniel Gimeno-Traver 6-2, 2-6, 6-3, but was really unhappy with the playing surface.

"For me that's not tennis. Either I come up with the football shoes or I invite Chuck Norris to advise me on how I should play on this court," he said.

"I cannot find the words to describe this court. It's really tough to play like this on a center court,” the Serb added. “We cannot change anything this year, but my first impressions are not good. I don't want to be the one complaining, but I say honestly what I feel. We need a serious discussion about the future of this blue clay.”

The organizers say the blue clay makes it easier for TV viewers to follow the flight of the ball.

But, according to Djokovic, the rallies became a lot harder as the new surface cuts a stark contrast with the traditional red clay.  

"This has no similarities with red clay, it's totally different," the 24-year-old stressed. "It's much more slippery.”

The reigning Champion will next face Switzerland’s Stanislas Warwinka or the Austrian Jurgen Melzer in the second round.