Andy Roddick has backed Serena Williams to defy the odds by winning Wimbledon after a year out of action due to a combination of life-threatening illness and serious injury.
Serena arrived at the All England Club with only two matches under her belt since she clinched the fourth Wimbledon title of her career 12 months ago.
The American has had to recover from emergency surgery to remove two blood clots, while also getting over a foot injury sustained by stepping on glass in a German restaurant.
But she made a winning return at Wimbledon on Tuesday — defeating France’s Aravane Rezai 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 before showing her emotions in a tearful television interview moments after leaving Centre Court.
Roddick has always admired Serena’s fighting spirit and he has no doubts his compatriot can overcome her lack of match practice and lift the women’s singles trophy for the fifth time. “One thing we’ve never really questioned with Serena is her competitive spirit. She just hates losing,” said Roddick, himself a first round winner on Tuesday.
“I don’t count her out of any situation. I don’t think it would surprise anybody if she went on and won this tournament. I don’t know how many people you can say that about after a year out.
“She’s proven she can recover from playing badly early and then almost play her way into shape. She goes from spring training to mid season in like three days.
“You can insert whatever superlative you want. She’s a fighter. She always has been since I’ve known her. Since she was eight years old, she’s been that way.”
Some pundits feel it would be bad for the women’s game if Serena or sister Venus — who is just back from a five-month injury absence — were able to win Wimbledon this year because it would reflect badly on the strength of their rivals.
But Roddick believes Serena’s global appeal makes her a massive plus for women’s tennis.
“I feel that people who don’t care about tennis still care about what Serena’s wearing. I feel like they still care about what she’s going to say or what she’s going to do,” Roddick said.
“People say ‘Oh, she hasn’t played in a year? I’m going to watch that’.
“They (the Williams sisters) bring that sort of attention to the game, which can only be beneficial for everybody involved — even the players who are playing — when they’re not there.”
