All England Tennis Club reveal Serena may be given a special seeding for Wimbledon

Aussie Darcy

Bionic Poster
Well this is something big. As we all know, Serena was absent from tour for a year due to pregnancy, she has now returned but is ranked #449 and therefore won't be seeded at Wimbledon. No doubt in anyones mind that she'll get a wildcard or at least use her protected ranking but she could potentially draw #1 Halep or #2 Wozniacki in round 1 which although would be a blockbuster, would impact the draw immensely.

Here's the article:

SERENA WILLIAMS could be made the top seed at Wimbledon - amid talk she is being penalised for having a baby.

Since returning to tennis earlier this year after giving birth to daughter Alexis Olympia last September, Williams has enjoyed a protected ranking of No 1 that guarantees her entry into tournaments.

But the current world No 449 does NOT have a protected seeding, which leaves her in danger of facing a top player in the first round of events, including Wimbledon.

Now All England Club chiefs have confirmed that they could use a special section in their rules to give Williams a seeding.

An AELTC spokesperson said: “The seeding order follows the WTA ranking list, except where in the opinion of the committee, a change is necessary to produce a balanced draw.

“Therefore it is reasonable to state that the committee would have the discretion to seed a player for The Championships, regardless of their WTA ranking.”

Williams has argued in favour of protected seedings for women players returning from pregnancy.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion told the New York Times: “I think it’s more of a protection for women to have a life.

“You shouldn’t have to wait to have a baby until you retire. If you want to have a baby and take a few months off or a year off and then come back, you shouldn’t have to be penalized for that. Pregnancy is not an injury.”


Williams, 36, has played four singles matches since returning to action, reaching the last 32 in Indian Wells before losing to older sister Venus and then falling to Japan’s rising star Naomi Osaka in round one at Miami.

After Indian Wells, current world No1 Simona Halep said she believed Williams “should have been given top seed.”

Wimbledon’s rules for the men’s singles, however, allow only for changes in the seedings according to a special weighting for a player’s grass-court record – NOT to bump individuals way up the rankings.

That means that Andy Murray, who is preparing to return a long-term hip injury, could face reigning champion Roger Federer or another highly-ranked player in the first round at SW19.
http://www.news.com.au/sport/tennis...s/news-story/9aded68ce453aab93b9f0c1cb72ec1e1

I have to say it sucks that the men's tour doesn't have such a rule in place where the organisers have the discretion to seed a player (e.g. Murray most likely won't be high enough to be seeded due to injury but his past grass results would definitely boost his seeding immensely if he was to be seeded). I'm all for Serena being given say the 32nd seeded position, not sure on her being given the top seed though. Thoughts?
 

Aussie Darcy

Bionic Poster
If they change the rules to allow protected seeding, then she left as #1 so a top 2 seed makes sense.

But it shouldn't be special for her, all PR should get seeded. Andy Murray too.
But it's not just special for her, if you read the quote, it says that the WTA have the discretion of the organisers to change it but the men don't have this option, only to boost seeding.
 

EloQuent

Legend
But it's not just special for her, if you read the quote, it says that the WTA have the discretion of the organisers to change it but the men don't have this option, only to boost seeding.
"discretion" means it's just for her, making it up as they go along for PR.

I don't like that. Be transparent and follow the rules. If the rules don't make sense, change them.
 

Aussie Darcy

Bionic Poster
It's something that has perhaps been done before with Seles post stabbing.

After her terrible stabbing, then #1 Seles was absent for 2 years from the sport, when she returned, I believe she was given the co-number 1 ranking with Graf at her first event at the 1995 Canadian Open (which Seles won). At the 1995 US Open (where Seles was runner up to #1 Graf she was the 2nd seed.
 
Last edited:

reaper

Legend
It's strange they have different rules for men and women with the rule not related to pregnancy. By the time Wimbledon comes around Williams will have been back on tour for four months, so they might have a look at her form before deciding on whether to invoke their discretion to seed her.
 

EloQuent

Legend
It's nice to see that the tour has come a long way since the 90s. After Seles was stabbed whilst #1 in the world in 1993 she was absent from the game for 2 years, she wasn't given a protected ranking which to me is outrageous.

Here's a quote from the NYT:
has it actually "come a long way"?

Serena is marketable and they want her to go deep, that's all.
 

EloQuent

Legend
It's strange they have different rules for men and women with the rule not related to pregnancy. By the time Wimbledon comes around Williams will have been back on tour for four months, so they might have a look at her form before deciding on whether to invoke their discretion to seed her.
If she's in good form they won't need to boost her....
 

Aussie Darcy

Bionic Poster
has it actually "come a long way"?

Serena is marketable and they want her to go deep, that's all.
I ended up editing my post as I was incorrect. Whilst the WTA didn't preserve Seles #1 ranking for the two years she was absent, she was given the co-number 1 ranking when she returned to tour. Something that hasn't happened since.
The 1995 Canadian Open had two #1 seeds with Graf and Seles. Seles won her comeback tournament.
 

EloQuent

Legend
I ended up editing my post as I was incorrect. Whilst the WTA didn't preserve Seles #1 ranking for the two years she was absent, she was given the co-number 1 ranking when she returned to tour. Something that hasn't happened since.
The 1995 Canadian Open had two #1 seeds with Graf and Seles. Seles won her comeback tournament.
I think the French Open has protected seeding, do you know how it works?
 

Aussie Darcy

Bionic Poster
Whose life did she threaten (yet again) to make this happen
I've always been meaning to ask. Where did she threaten Shino's life? I've watched the footage and she said i'll shove this (expletive) down your (expletive) throat.
If I said to someone, i'll shove this effing ball down your effing throat (which is what everyone says Serena said), I wouldn't think people would say I threatened to kill that person.. Do you think it is?
 

EloQuent

Legend
I've always been meaning to ask. Where did she threaten Shino's life? I've watched the footage many times and everyone says she said "i'll effing shove the ball down your effing throat" which to me isn't threatening life but is just a stupid line. If a male player said "i'm going to knock your head off" is that "life threatening" or just a threat. Perhaps we have different definitions of threatening life, maybe mine's too loose but she didn't say "i'm going to kill you, i'm going to stab you, i'll come for you in your sleep"..
I sort of agree with you but she did say what's technically a threat, even if it wasn't meant literally. Also, having a ball in hand makes the case that the lineswoman felt directly at threat, as opposed to just words.
 

Aussie Darcy

Bionic Poster
I sort of agree with you but she did say what's technically a threat, even if it wasn't meant literally. Also, having a ball in hand makes the case that the lineswoman felt directly at threat, as opposed to just words.
A threat? Yes. Life threatening? No. I'm sick of people on this forum saying she threatened to kill someone or threatened someone's life. From what I have seen and read and heard, she did nothing of the sort.
 
A threat? Yes. Life threatening? No. I'm sick of people on this forum saying she threatened to kill someone or threatened someone's life. From what I have seen and read and heard, she did nothing of the sort.

Yes jamming tennis balls down a persons throat has absolutely no life threatening possibilities

"I am going to shoot you in the head". People have survived it and I didnt say kill you! It wasnt a threat!
 

Aussie Darcy

Bionic Poster
Yes jamming tennis balls down a persons throat has absolutely no life threatening possibilities

"I am going to shoot you in the head". People have survived it and I didnt say kill you! It wasnt a threat!
If you think what she said was intended as a death threat then I have news for you. Also to compare a tennis ball to a gun? LOL, clutching at straws.

The common cold and food poisoning has life threatening possibilities, if I wish my ex caught the common flu or got food poisoning i'm now threatening their life? lol.
 

fundrazer

G.O.A.T.
A threat? Yes. Life threatening? No. I'm sick of people on this forum saying she threatened to kill someone or threatened someone's life. From what I have seen and read and heard, she did nothing of the sort.

I'm pretty sure it's just people making fun of Serena's reaction "I didn't say I was gonna kill her!" She said something like that anyway.

You been on the forum for years now, this stuff shouldn't even phase you. Embrace the trolling and have fun.
 
If you think what she said was intended as a death threat then I have news for you. Also to compare a tennis ball to a gun? LOL, clutching at straws.

The common cold and food poisoning has life threatening possibilities, if I wish my ex caught the common flu or got food poisoning i'm now threatening their life? Sure.

If you jam a tennis ball down someones throat there is a high chance it will kill them

What exactly do you think would happen? Should we try it on you?
 

Aussie Darcy

Bionic Poster
I'm pretty sure it's just people making fun of Serena's reaction "I didn't say I was gonna kill her!" She said something like that anyway.

You been on the forum for years now, this stuff shouldn't even phase you. Embrace the trolling and have fun.
Oh it doesn't phase me, just wondered if there was something I missed of what Serena said but I didn't. Just people making mountains out of molehills ;)
 

fundrazer

G.O.A.T.
Well we've got the clip if anybody wants to relive the magic.

Serena: I didn't say I would kill you! Are you serious!?
WOmen from crowd: Yeah you did!

 
She didn't say it because she wanted Shino to die, she didn't say I will kill you. If you don't understand that, that's on you.

So the only possible way to threaten a persons life is by saying "I will kill you"

I guess "I will slash your throat" or "I will shoot you" isnt enough because thats just joking around
 

Aussie Darcy

Bionic Poster
So the only possible way to threaten a persons life is by saying "I will kill you"

I guess "I will slash your throat" or "I will shoot you" isnt enough because thats just joking around
Again, if you can't see the difference between "I will shoot you" or "I will stab you" and "I will shove a ball down your throat" then that's on you.
 

George Turner

Hall of Fame
I guess no-ones gonna consider the feelings of the 32nd seed who worked hard for that seeded ranking, only to have it taken away by Serena being put at number 1. This is sexist to the number 32 seed.
 
Again, if you can't see the difference between "I will shoot you" or "I will stab you" and "I will shove a ball down your throat" then that's on you.

You would probably have a higher chance of survival from a gunshot wound or knife wound than a tennis ball lodged in your throat

An overwhelming percent of gunshot and stab wound victims survive
 

True Fanerer

G.O.A.T.
I'm fine with it as long as Murray is done the same favor. Getting pregnant and having children is a great thing, don't get me wrong. But, it is also a planned or careless act to become pregnant. Murray didn't get injured because he planned it or was careless.
 

sureshs

Bionic Poster
I'm fine with it as long as Murray is done the same favor. Getting pregnant and having children is a great thing, don't get me wrong. But, it is also a planned or careless act to become pregnant. Murray didn't get injured because he planned it or was careless.
Being injured is not an important function which the continuity of life is based on.

And yes being injured could be due to careless behavior or inferior technique.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
 

ADuck

Legend
Again, if you can't see the difference between "I will shoot you" or "I will stab you" and "I will shove a ball down your throat" then that's on you.
What she did was pretty bad regardless. I don't see any point defending her by stating the technicalities of how she threatened the lineswoman. Point is she did threaten her with violence and the lineswoman could have felt her life was in danger because saying "I will shove this down your throat" if followed through would kill you obviously. Doesn't matter if she intended to or not. It would have arguably been better if she said "i'm gonna punch you in the face"
 

ADuck

Legend
Being injured is not an important function which the continuity of life is based on.

And yes being injured could be due to careless behavior or inferior technique.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
Point is though, injury or pregnancy, your seeding should be based upon how you performed in the last 12 months. Who's to say her form hasn't deteriorated since she last played? The player whose seed she's replacing could have been better than her.
 

Aussie Darcy

Bionic Poster
What she did was pretty bad regardless. I don't see any point defending her by stating the technicalities of how she threatened the lineswoman. Point is she did threaten her with violence and the lineswoman could have felt her life was in danger because saying "I will shove this down your throat" if followed through would kill you obviously. Doesn't matter if she intended to or not. It would have arguably been better if she said "i'm gonna punch you in the face"
See, to me "i'm going to punch you in the face" is more intimidating and worse than "i'll shove this ball down your throat" but maybe that's just me. I guess that's where my issue is.
I can't even imagine a tennis ball fitting in my mouth so it doesn't terrify me but if someone had a clenched fist and said i'm going to punch you in the face, i'd be scared.
 

big ted

Legend
I thought Wimbledon could always move the seedings around for men & women.. when the grass was fast they would always bump up fast court players seedings and lower the seedings of clay court players..
 

Sudacafan

Bionic Poster
Well this is something big. As we all know, Serena was absent from tour for a year due to pregnancy, she has now returned but is ranked #449 and therefore won't be seeded at Wimbledon. No doubt in anyones mind that she'll get a wildcard or at least use her protected ranking but she could potentially draw #1 Halep or #2 Wozniacki in round 1 which although would be a blockbuster, would impact the draw immensely.

Here's the article:


http://www.news.com.au/sport/tennis...s/news-story/9aded68ce453aab93b9f0c1cb72ec1e1

I have to say it sucks that the men's tour doesn't have such a rule in place where the organisers have the discretion to seed a player (e.g. Murray most likely won't be high enough to be seeded due to injury but his past grass results would definitely boost his seeding immensely if he was to be seeded). I'm all for Serena being given say the 32nd seeded position, not sure on her being given the top seed though. Thoughts?
No big deal. The last time she got a seeding, didn’t she get pregnant?
Please don’t ban me.
 
Last edited:
D

Deleted member 742196

Guest
See, to me "i'm going to punch you in the face" is more intimidating and worse than "i'll shove this ball down your throat" but maybe that's just me. I guess that's where my issue is.
I can't even imagine a tennis ball fitting in my mouth so it doesn't terrify me but if someone had a clenched fist and said i'm going to punch you in the face, i'd be scared.

Aussie Tennis, similar to Aussie Football, is probably not for the feint of heart.
 

MichaelNadal

Bionic Poster
tumblr_p7tdw5rf5R1wu8tuto1_540.gif
 
D

Deleted member 735320

Guest
The seeding issue is kind of moot based on her appalling lack of conditioning(recent). If she is improving her fitness then watch out. Truthfully if she is too lethargic still at Wimbledon she will be upset before the semis.
 
Top