Ben Shelton calls for some sort of rule over bizarre Alexander Zverev maneuver during US Open clash
Alexander Zverev’s bouncing grew old on Ben Shelton too.Throughout the US Open, the top-seeded men’s singles player bounced the tennis ball numerous times before serving — both first and second serves — which left opponents guessing on when to set their feet and be ready to return.The discussion around it grew throughout the two-week hard court slam and after Shelton fell to the German in the men’s final 6-3, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-2 at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday, the young American suggested a rule be made.“For a first serve you should be able to do whatever you want and use the full 25 seconds every time,” Shelton said during this post-match press conference.
“I think there should be some sort of rule — I’m not sure exactly how you would do it — limiting time on 2nd serves.You shouldn’t have unlimited time.
I think for our sport, for the fans.I think it’s tough to be sitting there that long for the next play, the next action to happen.
I’m sure at some point it’ll be something these tournaments look at just because there is such a delay in play in some matches.”During the final, the ABC broadcast displayed a graphic that detailed humorous statistics regarding Zverev’s habit.It read the two-time Grand Slam champion spent an average of 10 seconds ball-bouncing per serve of his 899 serves hit during the tournament, which totaled about 2 hours and 30 mins of ball-bouncing out of his 19 hours and 38 minutes spent on the court in Queens.
Before a first serve, there is a 25-second clock to put it in play.Before second serves, players have as much time as they want and the 29-year-old did just that.Zverev had about 12,000 ball bounces across his first five matches at the U.S.
Open.He said he wasn’t aware of it and wasn’t counting to hit a certain number.
“I’m not doing it on purpose,” he said after his semifinal win over Karen Khachanov.“I saw the stat: like, I bounced it 12,000 times or something like that.
That’s quite ...