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Spain's Rafael Nadal ponders a question during a press conference in Madrid Friday May 4, 2012 prior to the upcoming Madrid Masters tennis tournament.
(AP Photo/Paul White)
Nadal unhappy with blue clay in Madrid, blames ATP
Spain's Rafael Nadal ponders a question during a press conference in Madrid Friday May 4, 2012 prior to the upcoming Madrid Masters tennis tournament.
(AP Photo/Paul White)
By
Paul Logothetis
AP Sports Writer
/
May 4, 2012
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MADRID—Rafael Nadal blames the ATP for allowing the introduction of the blue-clay surface.
The six-time French Open champion was troubled when he practiced on it for the first time Thursday, describing it as soft and slippery. He's also unhappy with the placement of the advertising boards.
A longtime critic of event organizers, Nadal said Friday that the ATP should "never have allowed such a change at a tournament of this scale" in his native Spain.
He also was displeased when the Madrid Open was moved on the schedule from the hard-court season.
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