Bartoli double trouble
JAMIE MURRAY has slammed Marion Bartoli’s claim that tennis should cut prize money for doubles – and hand it to struggling singles players instead.
The retired French star also declared the sport could axe doubles events completely on the ATP and WTA Tour.
Bartoli, a regular BBC pundit at Wimbledon, argued doubles players are paid too much as they “do not work as hard” as their singles counterparts.
And that sparked a furious response from seven-time Grand Slam doubles winner Murray.
The Scottish ace, 34, said: “For me it’s nonsense, obviously. I don’t know why she said what she did. A lot of it is just untrue.
“The annoying thing is doubles has come a long way over the last 10 years. It’s a major part of the tour.
“Comments like that can potentially put it back and give people the wrong impression. It’s very disappointing that there are still people out there who think that way.”
DERECK CHISORA insists news the Premier League will resume next month has given every athlete in the land a “massive” boost.
The British heavyweight star’s fight with Oleksandr Usyk fell victim to the coronavirus pandemic and has yet to be rescheduled.
But he is adamant that with England’s football elite kicking off again on June 17 he can now see a brighter future for all sport.
As Chisora explained, simply knowing the Premier League is on the way back is the perfect tonic after nearly three months of desperate uncertainty during lockdown.
The Manchester United fan’s logic is football leads the way – and everything else follows.
Chisora said: “Yes, we need the Premier League back – badly.
“The time without it has not been great but now football is coming back, it means sport is coming back – and that’s an amazing feeling.
“I remember in March when the Premier League decided to stop, everything just went into lockdown – even before the Government told us to.
“That’s how huge the game is in this country – and for all sport. It’s absolutely massive to know it will be on again in two weeks.”
Chisora reckons he has handled the potentially challenging lockdown pretty well.
He admits he may have struggled to have coped a few years ago, saying keeping motivated would have been a real struggle.
But it has been the complete reverse and Chisora says much of that is down to the input of his manager and former world heavyweight champion David Haye.
He said: “If I was younger, lockdown would have been far more difficult.
“Young fighters want to train and then fight. If they don’t have a target date, they lose focus.
“It also needs good management. David’s been superb. We set up 45-minute daily routines at the start – specific to my needs – and I’ve stuck to them rigidly.
“I’m in good shape and ready to return to the ring when I get a new date for Usyk.”
He is even considering a first foray into the world of mixed martial arts if he has to wait a long time for his rescheduled clash.
At 36, Chisora could have been forgiven for worrying he was losing valuable time in the twilight of his career.
But further confounding his public image of being a loose cannon outside the ring, he has taken the enforced break in remarkably relaxed fashion.
And he says his faith – as well as his daughters – have helped him focus on the positives during the lockdown.
“I wasn’t upset last weekend when I should have been fighting Usyk,” added Chisora. “I was pretty chilled. I can’t do anything about what’s happening.
“I’m born again and believe there’s a reason for everything.
“There have been some very sad things happening in this period but also some positives – like the cleaner environment outside. The air is so fresh.
“I suppose my calm approach comes from being a father to two girls. That changes you.”