A racket over rackets

Roddick: Former champs who wrote letter should butt out

LONDON, July 4 (Reuters) -- Andy Roddick, who hits the fastest serves in tennis, says the views of current players should count for more than those of former champions in the debate over reducing the size of tennis rackets.

An open letter signed by a host of former tennis greats was sent to the president of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) on Thursday calling for a reduction in the width of rackets to help reduce the effectiveness of the hard hitters.

"I just feel if a letter's sent, it should be sent by current players. I'm not really sure what their concern is," said 20-year-old American.

John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, Boris Becker and Pat Cash -- all former Wimbledon champions -- signed the letter which they hope will lead to the return of volleying and more excitement at the top level of the game.

"I don't know if the ITF is going to take it too seriously, you know, a letter full of past players -- no disrespect to those guys," said Roddick.

"They're great champions. But I find it kind of surprising that they would go through the full-out effort and make it, you know, something to be talked about."

Women's world No. 1 Serena Williams, another player of great strength and athleticism, said she thought nothing should be changed in the modern game.

"I think right now, the women's game is super-exciting and I think we're on a different level from everyone else," said the 21-year-old, who meets her sister Venus in the women's final on Saturday.

Roddick said he thought any changes would unfairly hurt players like him.

"I'm not trying to take away someone's speed," he said. "I'm not trying to take away someone else's strengths. I'm just trying to play the game."

The ITF said on Friday that president Francesco Ricci Bitti was likely to make a written reply to the letter at a later date.

A spokesman said the ITF was already looking at the effects of racket technology on the game and that a debate entitled "Tennis and the modern racket: small is beautiful?" had already been scheduled for the Second ITF Congress on Tennis Science and Technology in London later this month.

 

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