Serena Williams has noticed Wimbledon's poor behaviour in sending her to Court No2 but mere grumbling is not enough
Serena Williams, the reigning champion, coming back after a year out injured, reckons she is not getting the respect she deserves. Nor is her sister, Venus, she says.
"They like to put us on Court 2, me and Venus, for whatever reason," she said after beating the Romanian Simona Halep. "I haven't figured it out yet. Maybe one day we'll figure it out. I don't know."
Having opened Pandora's box, she spent the rest of the press conference trying to shut it. It is an annoying trait. If she has something to say, she should say it, not lead the media on to fight her fights for her.
Clearly it is an issue and she is right to be annoyed. Well, she should upset a few people in the right places. Storm into the committee, Serena, and demand to know why, as a long-time great player at Wimbledon, you have to put up with playing on a smaller outside court when others don't.
She had to be pushed on the issue and, when it was pointed out that other champions and leading players rarely play on Court No2, she said: "Actually Venus and I have won more Wimbledons together than a lot of the players or by ourselves in doubles even. So, you know, at the end of the day, I don't know. Like I said, they're not going to change, doesn't look like. So I don't know."
And we don't know either.
Hewitt: Hero and villain
In a truly weird opinion poll in Reader's Digest Lleyton Hewitt comes in at 87 out of 100 among celebrities that Australians trust. (Eighty-seven, incidentally, is the Australian cricket team's hoodoo number.)
That is the bad news for the player who has not always had the love of his people. The good news is he is 13 places below Shane Warne, who is reckoned to be the least trustworthy public figure in the whole country. Politicians across the land of sweeping plains are breathing more easily.
Hewitt, meanwhile, can take heart from his terrific losing fight against Robin Soderling. If he is not trusted at home, at least the small contingent of travelling Aussies were behind him here.
"The Australian Fanatic supporters," he said, "they've been to enough tennis matches now, they know how to behave out there as well. But they're singing the national anthem during the warm-up and then they get a standing ovation for that."
Going out by belting a forehand into the net was not ideal at the end of five tough sets but he took it in better heart than he might have done a few years ago.
"Where I'm at in my career at the moment, this is what I play for, the Grand Slams," he said.
You cannot knock his physical courage. Hewitt has had hip operations and he is managing a foot injury. "Everyone, whether I've spoken to my surgeon, my physios, my doctors, whoever, we've all just been focusing on trying to get through here in sort of one piece and we'll pick up all the pieces after that and put it together."
He could not leave us without a clich�. "You're a long time retired." So, enjoy him while you can.
Sights and sounds of summer
"He's only gone and split a pair of effing Debs!" A tout to a fellow tout about a rival. "Debs" are Debentures. Breaking up two such seats together is, apparently, the crime of crimes in Toutworld.
"Splish!" followed quickly by, "Get your brollies, here!" all along Wimbledon Park Road.
"Aeeeiyooeeeah!" in just about any women's game. Ian Ritchie, the chief executive here, wants less grunting. This is a seminal moment for your reporter. I'm agreeing with the All England Club. Hell beckons.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2011/jun/24/wimbledon-2011-serena-williams
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