“There’s got to be something they can do?” - Reilly Opelka sheds anger on the court conditions in Shanghai as his winless streak prolongs

It is more disappointment for Reilly Opelka, who suffered an early exit in the Shanghai Masters first-round, being knocked out by Benjamin Bonzi 7-6(2), 6-4. The match was also marred by a frustrated Opelka commenting on the court to the umpire, unsatisfied with the conditions of the 1000 event.

It is now four consecutive singles defeats for the tall American, as he struggles to find a period of form. After an impressive win in the second-round of the Cincinnati Open against world number eight Alex de Minaur, he squandered three match points against Francisco Comesana in a damaging loss. His home Grand Slam was abruptly halted by Carlos Alcaraz, who would sweep his opponent aside on his way to US Open glory.

The pair would be rivals once more, but this time in the Laver Cup. Opelka had linked up with Team World after some of his compatriots were plagued with injuries. Despite Team World clinching victory for the third time, Opelka lost his singles and doubles match, unable to help his team to glory. In his first event of the Asian swing, he was hoping for a turn of events, but that would not be the case in Shanghai, an event where he has only clinched one victory from his previous two times competing in.

Opelka found himself in a spot of bother early on, having been broken by his opponent and falling into a 3-0 deficit. However, he managed to break back with Bonzi trying to serve out the set, before going to save three set points in the next game. He forced a tiebreaker but was left for dust by the Frenchman.

The conditions finally got the better of the 28-year-old in the second set after a return flew past him. Angrily, he confronted the umpire to let his feelings clear about the court's conditions, most notably the bounce of the ball, which was proving tricky to deal with.

“Stop acting like what I’m saying is unreasonable,” Opelka said to umpire Christian Rask, who would go on to attempt to calm him down. “I’m not, but I haven’t got a solution,” he said. “There’s no way we can change the surface of the court here now, and you know the bounce is different on the lines.”

“There’s got to be something they can do?” Opelka desperately replied. “They’re not going to repaint the court in the middle of the match,” Rask said. “I’m happy to report that there was a bad bounce after the match, but that’s all I can do.” This was not a consolation for Opelka, who was left red-faced. “Masters 1000, you expect this in a future, not in a Masters 1000, you’d expect this in a future with a crack in the court," he said.

Opelka was on the backfoot in the second set, saving five break points before Bonzi eventually broke the deadlock. He would go on to comfortably wrap up proceedings, taking his first match point. Following this won, a tough test awaits him in the next round in the form of 31st seed Gabriel Diallo.

For Opelka, he is now eyeing up a return to form at the European Open held in Brussels, which commences on the 13th October. The 250 event will feature numerous high calibre players, such as Lorenzo Musetti, Felix Auger Aliassime, Jiri Lehecka, Frances Tiafoe, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, and Joao Fonseca, among others. Following that is an array of events he could be at, including the Paris Masters. Wherever he competes, the world number 64 is in desperate need for victories, as he faces a continuous slide down the rankings.