Rafael Nadal says the center court at the Brazil Open in Sao Paulo played incredibly fast this week. The tournament was played indoors, on red clay.
"The surface here is much faster than any hard court,” he told reporters. “Much faster than the U.S. Open, much faster than the Australia Open. It’s a surface that cannot be considered clay, that's the truth. The altitude and especially the balls, everything in the end makes for a very quick surface. The conditions are not good for me or for my style of play. I don’t have a good feeling of controlling the ball or that I can attack."
Nadal added that he is still experiencing discomfort in his knee and isn’t able to move well, but he did manage to beat David Nalbandian in the final to win his 51st career title.