Carlos Alcaraz launched into a rant about controversial tennis balls on Monday as he suffered a 7-5, 7-6 (4) loss to Belgian Zizou Bergs to exit in the third round of the Shanghai Masters.

Last week’s Japan Open winner exploded in frustration as he lost in just over two hours to end his autumn Asian swing with mixed results.

The Spanish second seed could be heard on court arguing with his box over dissatisfaction with the state of the balls – a common complaint on the ATP, which switches balls almost at will between one event and the next.

The Yonex brand in use this week has a reputation for quick degradation, which annoys players. 

 “It can’t be that one ball bounces and the other slips on me. I can’t, man, I can’t play like this, man. Damn it!” Alcaraz yelled to his player box at a tense moment after losing the opening set.

Coach Samuel Lopez replied: “Hit more topspin to the backhand side. If you have to miss, miss big. And target the body more with your second serves. Keep going, give it a smack, damn it.” 

The advice proved to be useless, with Alcaraz exiting; the defeat will ensure that Alexander Zverev ends the season on world No. 1, replacing the injured Jannik Sinner.

The upset win handed Berg the biggest success of his career.

 “I often have too much respect for these guys, which is part of my culture and I’m proud of that. But it gets a little bit in the way when you have to play them. 

“This moment, for me, is a little bit of a relief. I feel like now I really can win against these guys. Not just I can play against them, but I can win against them.”

The No. 39 added: “It’s a little bit of disbelief and also not feeling too much,.

“It’s one of the moments where you don’t really realise what is going on, you’re just really in the moment and being focused on the points you have to play. 

“Now one minute after the match, it is tough to calm down a little bit, but I will be very happy.”

Main photo:- Zizou Bergs celebrates – by ISF Ltd

Venus Williams lost in Wimbledon mixed doubles on Friday and immediately went to ground, presumably ready to cop a fine of USD 50,000 for skipping a mandatory post-match media conference.

The 46-year-old elder sister’s disappearing act was a direct lift from her sibling Serena, 44, who failed to appear after losing in singles this week on a wild card entry.

Venus and German Kevin Kraweitz were eliminated 6-4, 6-4 by Briton Lloyd Glasspool and Slovak Tereza Mihalikova.

After her own singles transgression, Serena managed to escape the monetary sanction – mere pocket change to her – by claiming a medical loophole (knee injury) after she was beaten in three sets by Australian Maya Joint in the first round.

British tabloid media reported that Venus simply dismissed her doubles media duties and did not even provide a post-match statement as her younger sister had managed to do.

While the Williams siblings bend the rules to their needs, officials at the All England Club are apparently quite pleased to accommodate the fading players.

A women’s doubles opening match featuring the pair – which should have been completed by Friday – was held over to Saturday but without giving a starting time or court assignment.

The plan looks to be  to slot the Williams onto a showcourt if earlier matches finish quickly. Each of the over 40 siblings are playing at this edition on various wild card invitations. 

Main photo:- US Open 2023 Wildcard Venus Williams (USA) wearing shocking pink “night attire” embarrassingly loses first round match 6-1 6-1 in just one hour 13 minutes to qualifier and “wanders off into the sunset” Photo Roger Parker International Sports Fotos Ltd

Iga Swiatek took two hours to complete a difficult start to her Wimbledon title defence, with the third seed outlasting Taylor Townsend 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 on Tuesday to squeeze into the Wimbledon second round.

The former world No. 1 seeded third here, put her head in a towel and shed tears in a rare show of emotion after defeating her American opponent in two hours.

The six-time Grand Slam winner without a title this season said that a 21-minute opening game of the third set featuring nine deuces was key for her victory.

After dropping a nervy second set, Swiatek admitted it turned into a dogfight start to the third.

“Even serving might be a tough ask. This game was about  believing that I can do it,” she said. “It was so long with many (four) break points.

“I’m happy I was able to keep my composure. I knew I needed to be solid and not look for winners.

“I’m happy that game went well – it was crucial. Now into the next one.”

Swiatek just managed to maintain her near-perfect run at Grand Slam first rounds: she has now won her last 29 openers at the majors, losing only at Wimbledon seven years ago.

While not going into detail, the Polish winner said she had been through “a tough couple of weeks.

“This is not a season where everything has gone as I wanted. I don’t want any three-set matches, I’m happy I won one here.”

2022 champion and second seed Elena Rybakina, who lost two of her three grass tune-up matches, came good in the first round with a 6-4, 1–6, 6-3 defeat of Lois Boisson, playing here for the first time.

“In the end, I’m happy that I managed to win it. Definitely will need to work more on these kind of things,” Rybakina said.

“The serve was working on and off; this is something for me also to improve
for the next matches.”

2025 finalist Amanda Anisimova began with a 6-3, 6-2 defeat of qualifier Lina Gjorcheska of North Macedonia which took one hour.

The 222-ranked qualifier overcame a pair of double faults and saved a first match point in the penultimate game.

But last season’s two-time Grand Slam,runner-up Anisimova prevailed a game later, serving out victory with a winner to the corner on her second chance.

The 31-year-old Gjorcheska came through qualifying rounds with the loss of just one set and was competing in the first Grand Slam main draw of her career.

She reached her main draw dream at the majors after 13 career qualifying attempts. The first player from her Balkan nation to play in a Slam main draw had to prepare without any grass courts at home.

“We don’t have anywhere to prepare, so I was preparing two days before the match,” she said.

“I learned to be patient and to go with my serve, to believe in myself.”

Anisimova was impressed with the effort: “It’s not easy playing a qualifier. She’s had three matches under her belt.

”We’ve never played before so it was a tricky first round. I’m excited to be back at Wimbledon, it feels great.

“The moment I got here I was flooded with memories. I hope to carry those vibes and keep them going here,” she said a year after losing the final to Swiatek.

Rome-born Italian-American Tyra Grant, who switched to representing Italy last year, left Katie Swan as the last British woman remaining after defeating Katie Boulter 6-4, 6-2.

Swan maintained a place for the host nation, defeating Romanian Irina Begu    6-4, 6-4 to reach the second round at the home event for the first time since 2018.

The Briton is a comeback story, after nearly quitting the sport due to injury but finding a way back. “Sometimes I find it hard to be proud of myself ,” she said.

“But when I look back on where I was a year ago, having decided to quit the sport for good, taking a coaching job and then by chance finding a doctor that would give me my last attempt at rehab to try and play again – it’s a lot easier to put things into perspective.” 

No. 172 Grant is playing in a main draw at a major for the first time.

She now has just nine career singles matches on grass – eight of them in either juniors or qualifying.

Madison Keys, who claimed a third Eastbourne title at the weekend, secured her sixth win in a row as she opened her Wimbledon account over Kayla Day 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-3.

Italy’s double Grand Slam finalist Jasmine Paolini survived a love opening set to stage a fightback to defeat Robin Montgomery of the US 0-6, 6-4, 7-5, with the American saving a match point. .

But Montgomery, a grasscourt titleholder last this month in the Netherlands, double-faulted on match point down as Paolini powered back from 2-4 in the deciding set. 

Daria Snigur stunned fellow Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, the eighth seed, 7-5, 6-2, her second defeat of a top 10 opponent at a major after beating Simona Halep at the 2022 US Open.

Main photo:- Iga Swiatek slows things down – by Roger Parker ISF Ltd