Fed rates Serena the greatest
But organisers refuse to give the 39-slam winner a seeding
● Men’s tennis ace Roger Federer believes Serena Williams can lay claim to being the sport’s greatest player. When asked to clarify that by the Wall Street Journal, Federer confirmed he indeed meant “overall”, as in the best player regardless of gender.
His comments came before the French Open’s decision against giving the former world No 1 women’s star a seeding that has sparked anger around the world.
The tournament gets under way today. When Williams took time off to have a baby she was No 1, but under the ruling returns to the French competition this week as number 454.
Under a rule established by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), players who are out of the game due to injury or pregnancy for a minimum of six months are allowed to keep the ranking they held when they went on leave.
But the decision whether to give that player a seed remains up to tournament organisers. The WTA said it would consider reviewing its rules, in a move that may prevent this sort of thing from happening again.
Three-time French Open champion Williams could face longtime rival Maria Sharapova in the last-16 after this week’s draw. Williams, the champion in 2002, 2013 and 2015, will start against Kristyna Pliskova of the Czech Republic and is playing a grand slam for the first time since she won her 23rd major at the 2017 Australian Open, after which she stepped off the tour to give birth to her daughter in September.
Unique background
Williams, 36, has played just four matches on the tour in 2018 and not featured at all since Miami in March.
Sharapova, champion in 2012 and 2014, could face Serena, against who she lost in the 2013 final at Roland Garros, in the fourth round. Top seed and two-time runner-up Simona Halep faces Alison Riske of the US in her opener and second seed and Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki starts against another American, Danielle Collins.
Meanwhile, Federer this week said Williams’ unique background makes her achievements more remarkable: “[Williams’s career] has been fascinating to watch. She had a totally different upbringing — I came up through Switzerland with the federation, she did it with her dad and her sister,” Federer told the Wall Street Journal.
Both players are approaching 37 and their careers have charted each other.
Williams has won 39 grand slams including 23 singles crowns, while Federer has 20 grand slam singles titles, the most by any men’s player: “It's an amazing story unto itself — and then she became one of the greatest, if not the greatest tennis player of all time,” Federer said.
After her child’s birth, when she needed emergency surgery after suffering a blood clot, just being back on the court is a remarkable achievement. — AFP and stuff.co.nz