Five-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams responded diplomatically on Saturday to the decision by officials to pass over her for the honor of opening the women’s tournament on Center Court– which some see as a snub.
Instead, last year’s runner-up Sabine Lisicki will take the ceremonial Tuesday slot that is usually reserved for the defending champion.
France’s Marion Bartoli, last year’s winner, retired a few weeks after her victory.
Asked in a pre-tournament press
conference to respond to the decision, No. 1 Williams said of Lisicki: “She was in the final last year, so she was two sets closer than I was. So why not?” Lisicki has struggled since defeating
Williams 6-2, 1-6, 6-4 in the fourth round on her way to the final.
The 19th seed from Germany has advanced past the quarterfinals in only one event since and is 8-8 in 2014.
Serena and her older sister, Venus, have won 10 of the last 14 All-England Club singles titles.
The Williamses have felt slighted before by Wimbledon officials.
In 2011, five-time champion Venus opened her campaign on Court 2. Serena was shuffled out to the same minor show court in her second round.
Back then, Serena told reporters: “They like to put us on Court 2, me and Venus, for whatever reason. I haven’t figured it out yet. Maybe one day we’ll figure it out I don’t know.”
Serena added that top male players such as Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer “never move across” to outside courts.
On Saturday, Williams said it didn’t matter where she began her campaign for a sixth Wimbledon crown. She opens against fellow American Anna Tatishvili.
“For me, you have to be ready to play on any day,” she said.
[USA TODAY]
