"How pathetic this is" - Pam Shriver makes frustrations clear with poor camera angle for Alexander Zverev's Halle clash

Former Grand Slam finalist and longtime commentator Pam Shriver wasn't happy with what was playing out in front of him. She was watching Alexander Zverev’s quarterfinal clash at the Halle Open against Flavio Cobolli and couldn't help but notice the poor broadcasting effort.

On Friday, Shriver took a screenshot and shared her frustration with his followers on X. She scrawled giant “X” marks over the broadcast framing and said:

“X marks the spot of my beloved tennis, not understanding how pathetic this is to try to watch on TV. (We can do better) 🎾🙏”

The image she posted showed the camera placed too far off — cropping out shots, backhands, rallies and most of the court.

Camera angles are a matter of concern in tennis, especially on not-so-high-profile grass courts where the shadow during day games covers a large section of the court. Courts like Halle’s grass surface feature low bounces and a fast pace.

Without a proper camera angle, it ends up being a poor viewing experience watching the games from afar.

Not the first time Pam Shriver called for better broadcasting

The Halle Open wasn't the first time Pam Shriver has called for better broadcasting efforts.

During the 2024 US Open, Shriver slammed tournament organisers for matches running into the early morning hours. She labelled the 2:15 a.m. finish as “unacceptable” and “not humane” for both players and fans.

She wrote to the United States Tennis Association for better scheduling after her coaching client Donna Vekic had to endure a late finish. She wrote (via The Telegraph)

“Kudos to both Zheng and Donna for playing one of the best matches of the year in the middle of the night. It’s an unacceptable situation that’s not humane for world-class athletes. The men playing five sets is the main culprit plus starting Ashe Stadium at 12pm, especially once matches get more competitive in the third round. “The USTA were the first to allow for equal prize money and bring final-set tie-breakers into major tennis. It’s time to study what changes in the three-of-five format should be made. It’s not sustainable given depth of field and average length of matches to keep the format the same.”

Shriver suggested starting sessions earlier on Arthur Ashe Stadium. She also asked to change men’s matches to a best-of-3 format.

Edited by pranavsethii