‘WTA should rethink Serena’s Miami draw’

Miami Open tournament director James Blake on Monday urged tennis chiefs to rethink seeding rules after Serena Williams was handed a tough draw at this week’s event in Florida.

Blake believes Williams is effectively being penalised for taking maternity leave by existing WTA tournament regulations. The 23-time Grand Slamwinning American heads into this week’s Miami Open as an unseeded player after taking 13 months off to have her first child.Such a lengthy absence means she’s currently ranked 491 and although the 36-year-old can use a protected world standing to enter up to eight tournaments during a 12-month period — thus avoiding qualifying — it does not apply to seedings.

In her “home” tournament in Miami, which she has won eight times, Williams has been drawn against Naomi Osaka, the Japanese 20-year-old who arrives in South Florida having lifted the Indian Wells title at the weekend for her first major honour.

AFP