Daniil Medvedev criticises the quality of Tennis balls used in China Open, following his second-round victory

Daniil Medvedev secured his spot in the third round of the Shanghai Masters with a decisive victory over Thiago Seyboth Wild in straight sets. The Russian encountered a moment of contention during the match when he openly criticized the subpar quality of the balls used in the Masters 1000 event.

Daniel Medvedev unhappy with the quality of Tennis balls

As the fifth seed of the tournament, Medvedev advanced to the second round in Shanghai via a walkover. However, during the initial set of the match, the 28-year-old took a stand by summoning the supervisor and expressing his dissatisfaction with the ball, asserting that they did not meet the standards of professional tennis. He adamantly claimed that the balls were "destroyed" after a mere five games.

"These balls are not good enough for professional tennis. This is one of the biggest tournaments in the world and the balls are destroyed after 5 games. No pressure at all," the Russian said.

Daniil Medvedev has been vocal about the quality of tennis balls before. At the China Open last year, he expressed his dissatisfaction with the balls used on hardcourts, describing them as "a joke" after his quarterfinal victory over Ugo Humbert.

In Shanghai, Medvedev's win against Seyboth Wild helped him level his head-to-head record against the Brazilian, following a previous loss to him in the first round of the 2023 French Open.

What's Next For Medvedev?

After defeating Thiago Seyboth Wild, Medvedev is set to face 29th seed Matteo Arnaldi in the third round of the Shanghai Masters. Arnaldi secured his spot in the Round of 32 with a hard-fought 6-7(2), 6-2, 6-4 victory over American qualifier Zachary Svajda.

This upcoming match will mark the fourth encounter between Daniil Medvedev and Matteo Arnaldi, with Medvedev emerging victorious in all three of their previous meetings. Their most recent face-off took place in the second round of the Madrid Open, where Medvedev claimed a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 win.