Serena’s coach makes plea for open on-court coaching
LOS ANGELES: The coach whose attempts to guide Serena Williams mid-match during this year’s US Open final led to her explosive row with the umpire and a code violation en route to defeat, has called for on-court coaching to be permitted.
Patrick Mouratoglou admitted gesturing to Williams from the stands during her match with Japan’s Naomi Osaka – in contravention of US Open and other grand slam event rules – but the American was left incensed at the umpire’s strict interpretation of the rule. She said she had not seen Mouratoglou’s signal. The incident resulted in a game penalty and a $17,000 fine for Williams.
Mouratoglou said mid-match coaching needed to be authorised to “ensure tennis sustains its development”.
“It is a very basic truth that the vast majority of tennis coaches are actually coaching on court, despite the rule,” he said. “Of course, coaches are usually discreet... occasionally the players are punished for it, but for the most part they are not.”
WOZNIACKI KEEN TO END SEASON ON A HIGH
SINGAPORE: Caroline Wozniacki will be looking to carry the momentum of a strong end to the season through to a second successive WTA Finals title triumph next week.
“You play against the top players in the world so you need to be on your A-game to win matches and try and win the tournament. So I am definitely going to take the momentum that I have and try and play well here.”
Wozniacki beat Venus Williams 6-4, 6-4 here a year ago and is eager to defend her title.
HALEP WITHDRAWS, DEBUT FOR BERTENS
World No 1 Simona Halep pulled out of next week’s WTA Finals due to a lower back injury, handing first alternate Kiki Bertens a spot at the season-ending event in Singapore for the first time.
Bertens, who finished ninth in the Race to Singapore standings, will be making her WTA Finals debut in the last version of the tournament in Singapore after a five-year run in Southeast Asia.
Bertens has won three tournaments this season, including a victory over Halep to claim the Cincinnati Masters title.