When we were watching the situation that happened at Indian Wells between the fans and the Williams Sisters, I was really shocked. I did not think that anything like that would actually happen at a tennis match of all places. I could understand if fans were upset about a call at a football, basketball, baseball, or even soccer match, but to be that unsportsmanlike and cheer against Serena when she did poorly is just not right.
I believe that out of my knowledge that Venus told a doctor or trainer that she would not be playing within plenty of time so that the director could tell the fans that there would be no match. The match however was not cancelled and went on and that created a huge controversy that made it look like Venus was a terrible person and just taking a fall so that the tournament could still get the money that they raised from fans wanting to come watch Serena play Venus and instead show them a match that consisted of Serena and a player that was obviously not as well known as Serena.
In the end, the fans were terrible to Serena, Venus, and their father. They booed them as they came down to the court and cheered every time Serena messed up. They were unlike what would be expected of tennis fans at a match like this. Although Serena ended up winning the match, I think that I would agree that the Williams’s should not ever go back to that tournament no matter what the penalty is. They went there when it was not required within the tour and were treated extremely poorly, so why would you want to go back. I would not want to go back to any place where I was treated poorly, let alone booed and had racial slurs said to me.
It is not fair to be angry at the Williams family. They did what they needed to do and it was very obvious that Venus was not feeling very well with her ankle. She has competed consistently well throughout her career and never had such a situation occur since, so why would anyone still believe that this situation was just Venus taking a fall so that Serena could win. It does not seem right to me at all.
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I totally agree that it is not fair to be angry and the Williams. How were they suppose to know that all those people were going to lash out like that? It's ridiculous and pretty disappointing that people would stoop that low!
ReplyDeleteI agree with both of you. The fans were out of line to boo the Williams sisters like they did. I think that they people of Indian Wells should have come out and told the truth of what happened. I do not believe that they should have made the tournament at Indian Wells a tournament that counts against the rankings. I do not believe that Venus and Serena should not return even though it does count toward the rankings.
ReplyDeleteI believe that one result of Indian Wells is that both Venus and Serena have played with injuries because they did not want to face the wrath of fans. Besides opening themselves up to further injury, I think it is most problematic that the staff at Indian Wells was never held responsible.
ReplyDeleteI also think it is interesting that the WTA has never done anything about what happened. Maybe they did, but not to my knowledge. It is clear that what happened was very poor management by the staff at Indian Wells and they should have has some kind of punishment. It is not right to have that happen to athletes that are traveling on a tour just to play for the fans entertainment and then they have to face harrassment because one of them was injured. Like you said too, they do not want to have to face that same harrassment again so they will play injured. It seems unfair.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you Clayton, in saying that it was unfair. And no, the WTA has not done anything. That was what Serena was saying in her chapter. Indian Wells has tried to reach out to convince the Williams sisters to play, but of course, they want them to do that without apologizing. I don't blame them for contining to boycott.
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