From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The 2012 Madrid Masters (also known as the Mutua Madrid Open for sponsorship reasons) was played on outdoor blue clay courts at the Park Manzanares in Madrid, Spain from 7 to 13 May. Sign up for our daily newsletter TOP OF THE WORLD and get the big stories we’re tracking delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Blue magic Here is Roger Federer winning the first and last title on blue clay in 2012…he is the only player to win the Madrid Open on hard court, blue clay and red clay. The tournament had been played on outdoor red clay since 2009, but Tiriac decided it was time for a change. And if he has done that, then it is because he feels capable of going all the way. Keen for innovation, Tiriac proposed to turn Madrid’s red clay to blue for the 2012 edition, benefitting television viewers around the world. Madrid Open had been played on the red clay since the 2009 edition. May 8, 2012, 12:13 AM. Novak Djokovic on the infamous blue court in Madrid. MADRID (AP) — Rafael Nadal has been unhappy with the Madrid Open since it moved on the schedule from the hard-court season, and now he's blaming the ATP for the introduction of a blue-clay surface. To learn more, review our Cookie Policy. Every morning, the editorial team at public radio’s international news show The World meets to plan what they'll cover that day. Mike Hewitt/Getty Images. The blue clay used at this year's Madrid Masters which was severely criticized by world No.1 Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal has been banned from all … The controversial blue clay used by the Madrid Masters was banned by the ATP on Saturday, a move which will head off a potential boycott by top players of the crucial French Open … In 2012, the tournament was played on blue clay, to create an analog to hardcourt surface. We all knew Roger Federer's schedule was going to include clay this season for the first time since 2016 but the question was always which tournament would he play before the French Open.. That question has been answered today as the Swiss is confirmed to be participating at this year's Madrid Open which starts on the 3rd of May. Want to see what's on deck? World number two Rafael Nadal has sensationally lost to Fernando Verdasco 6-3 3-6 7-5 in the third round of the Madrid Open. The six-time French Open champion was troubled when he practiced on the court for the first time Thursday. Your donation directly supported the critical reporting you rely on, the consistent reporting you believe in, and the deep reporting you want to ensure survives. ‘Married to the mountains’: Arab women mountaineers set records despite social restrictions, pandemic, Austria’s ski resorts remain open during pandemic — but now they’re ‘ghost towns’, Amid cancellation talk, Tokyo Olympics 'focused on hosting', In Canada, Syrian refugee kids find belonging through hockey, Growing fears of anti-Asian hate crimes following Atlanta shootings, Putting China’s domestic violence law into practice is an uphill battle, An increase in migration: A view from Juárez, Mexico, The leftovers: What happens to foreign policy in power transitions? Later the tournament returned to the traditional red-dirt as some players were not comfortable playing on the colored clay. Federer does have a very good record in Madrid though. PRX is a 501(c)(3) organization recognized by the IRS: #263347402. Part I, More countries halt use of AstraZeneca vaccine. The biggest news to come out of the 2012 Madrid Open is about the players, as always, but this year it’s because they are red hot about the new blue clay. May 17, 2012 After Roger Federer had recorded his third win at the Madrid Masters in Spain last week and joined fellow record holder Rafael Nadal with 20 Masters titles, attention quickly focused to whether or not the experiment with the blue clay in Madrid was actually worth it. In a posting on the tour's website Saturday, ATP President Brad Drewett says he decided blue clay courts will not be allowed at tour events next season. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies and Privacy Policy. Tiriac again brought up a strange proposal in the Madrid Open 2012. The Mutua Madrid Open tennis championships will be played in the capital city from 3-12 May. The six time French Open champion won the 2010 Madrid Open beating Roger Federer in the final. The architect behind the Madrid Open's new clay court, Ion Tiriac, explains why blue is the new red. But Ion Tiriac decided to bring up some changes in the color of the clay. Madrid will not be able to continue its experiment with blue clay next year after the ATP announced they were banning the change of colour for 2013. (AP) Roger Federer was victorious in that blue-clay edition. Read full article. It was the 11th edition of the event on the ATP and 4th on the WTA. Tipsarevic forced the first-set tiebreaker before outplaying the … He proposed to change the color of the clay to blue from that of the conventional red clay. The surface was changed to a never-before-seen blue clay… We couldn’t have done it without your support. 'A completely different game': Rafael Nadal rails against Madrid Open's blue clay Rafael Nadal reacts during his match against Fernando Verdasco at the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid … pin. MADRID (AP) — Top-ranked Novak Djokovic was upset by fellow Serb Janko Tipsarevic 7-6 (2), 6-3 in the Madrid Open quarterfinals on Friday, becoming the latest top seed to lose on the new blue-clay court. He says that while the new color, in place of the traditional red clay, "may have offered better visibility on television, there were clearly issues with the quality of the courts in Madrid this year, which were not acceptable.". In 2012, the tournament adopted a new colour of blue clay for all the surfaces, however many players complained that the blue clay was slippery hence the return of the red clay in 2013. Roger Federer ’s run on the blue clay of the 2012 Mutua Madrid Open nearly ended before it truly began. Standing across the net was a 21-year-old Canadian armed with rocket serve, who … The Blue Clay Experiment In Madrid, Was It Worth It? 2 to break through Big 4, Nishikori rallies to beat Opelka in Dubai, Clijsters pulls out of Miami, Charleston tourneys, Muguruza wins Dubai Open after 2-year title wait, Basilashvili wins Qatar Open to win 4th ATP title, Medvedev to meet Herbert in Open 13 final, Bautista Agut tops Rublev in Qatar Open semis, Muguruza beats Mertens in Dubai to reach final, Tsitsipas out at Open 13, Medvedev through, Federer falls in Qatar, withdraws from Dubai, Muguruza, Pegula advance to Dubai fourth round, Federer posts win at Qatar Open after year layoff, Tsonga fights back to claim victory in Marseille, Federer's comeback to start vs. victorious Evans, Djokovic passes Federer for most weeks as No. There was a change in colour because there was a belief the tennis ball could be seen better on blue clay than red clay. Both Roger Federer and Serena Williams will be defending last year’s titles. The third seed nearly was ousted in his first match of the ATP Masters 1000 event. The blue clay that made Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic feel, well, blue at last month's Madrid Open is going away. In 2012, the Madrid Open took place on blue clay. Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal are among players that detest Madrid Open's new blue clay courts. Clearly not put off by the disapproval the models received, Tiriac and the Madrid Open organisers again came up with a bizarre proposal in 2012: blue clay courts. The story you just read is freely available and accessible to everyone because readers like you support The World financially. The courts caused huge controversy at … We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. However, the dyeing of the clay that year was criticized by players, who believed the court was too slippery. LONDON -- The blue clay that made Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic feel, well, blue at last month's Madrid Open is going away. With blue clay, Madrid Open takes 'no press is bad press' route. Madrid Open (Photo: Madrid Open/Facebook). email. AP SPAIN MADRID OPEN BLUE CLAY S TEN ESP. sms. The European clay is Nadal country, so the genius from Basel, who detests losing, has been reducing his appearances in the Spaniard’s territory, although he has announced his return for 2019. After losses, Nadal and Djokovic said they didn't like the way the courts played and vowed not to return in 2013 unless a change was made. The winners that year were Roger Federer and Serena Williams. Ground staff lay the blue clay court ahead of the Mutua Madrid Open. The World is a public radio program that crosses borders and time zones to bring home the stories that matter. The Madrid Open, being held this week, is the only non-hard-court Masters tournament everyone in the ATP’s Big 4 has won. send. By Chris Chase October 2, 2014 9:17 am shares. The 25-year-old Spaniard looked uncomfortable in his … The championships for both men and women are held on the clay courts of Caja Mágica designed by Dominique Perrault. ATP: Madrid Open can't have blue clay in 2013, Britain's Evans knocked out of Dubai second round, Nadal pulls out of Miami Open due to back issue, Andy Murray granted wild card for Miami Open, Medvedev rises to No. tweet. Thank you all for helping us reach our goal of 1,000 donors. However, the player from Basel has one Madrid record that nobody can match: he’s the only player to have won this tournament on hard court (2006, still at Casa de Campo), clay (2009, first champion in the Caja Mágica) and blue clay (2012, the only time to date that this type of clay … MADRID -- Rafael Nadal has been unhappy with the Madrid Open since it moved on the schedule from the hard-court season, and now he's blaming the ATP for the introduction of a blue-clay … share. Mystery of Madrid's Blue Clay Tennis Courts Madrid Open (Photo: Madrid Open/Facebook) The Madrid Open tennis tournament is underway. The ATP gave the Madrid tournament permission to test out the blue courts in 2012. Tomas Berdych and Roger Federer during Mutua Madrid Open 2012. 1, Coco saves 2 match points in early Dubai win. Roger Federer is the only man to have won the Madrid Open on three different surfaces. Madrid 2012 Finale - Roger Federer vs Tomas Berdych Madrid Open 2012: The Blue Clay Makes Defensive Tennis Impossible Anders Correspondent III May 12, 2012 Comments.