Andy Murray: Serena Williams would face British number one

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Murray up for Williams Vegas match

Serena Williams says she is prepared to face Andy Murray after the world number two suggested facing the five-time Wimbledon women's singles champion.

Murray, in his latest BBC Sport column, said he believes people would be interested in watching men play against women to see how the styles match up.

He described Williams as an "incredible" player and said he would be prepared to face her in Las Vegas.

Williams said: "I doubt I'd win a point, but that would be fun."

Murray said he had been challenged by someone on Twitter to take on Williams, who is number one in the women's rankings.

"I'd be up for it, why not?" he added.

Williams, 31, is five years older than 2012 US Open winner Murray, but would not back away from the challenge of facing the Scot.

It would not be the first time leading men and women players have faced one another.

In 1992 two-time Wimbledon singles champion Jimmy Connors overcame Martina Navratilova 7-5 6-2 in Las Vegas. Nineteen years earlier Billie Jean King brushed aside Bobby Riggs 6-4 6-3 6-3 in Houston.

"He wants to play me? That would be fun," Williams said after sweeping past French teenager Caroline Garcia 6-3 6-2 in round two at Wimbledon on Thursday.

"He's probably one of the top three people I definitely don't want to play.

"But, yeah, maybe we can have a little bit of a showdown."

Should an exhibition game between the Murray and Williams happen, it would be a match between the two 2012 Olympic gold medal singles winners.

While Murray defeated Roger Federer to clinch the men's title at the Games, Williams overcame Maria Sharapova to win the women's event.

When the idea was put to world number one Novak Djokovic, the Serb said it would be "a lot of fun to watch".

Serena Williams still loves the winning moments at Wimbledon

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213 comments

  • Comment posted by Heinz Kiosk, at 18:21 27 Jun 2013

    I love the aside in the article that BJK "brushed aside" Bobby Riggs as if that means anything, omitting to mention that Riggs was 55 at the time! The equivalent modern matchup would be Williams vs McEnroe. Riggs took several games off BJK. and it wouldn't surprise me if McEnroe could do the same with Williams.

  • Comment posted by U15010137, at 18:14 27 Jun 2013

    they'd be having a laugh and probably doing it for charity. lighten up everyone.

  • Comment posted by U15710498, at 18:21 27 Jun 2013

    When Jimmy beat Martina he had to cover the doubles court and Martina the singles. Jimmy was only allowed one serve, not two.

  • Comment posted by Il Capitano, at 18:17 27 Jun 2013

    in 1998 Karsten Braasch thrashed both Williams sisters back to back one afternoon on the practice courts at the Aussie Open.

    he was ranked 203 at the time.

  • Comment posted by U4289263, at 17:59 27 Jun 2013

    Lets be honest, this would all just be for a bit of fun, and I would quite enjoy watching something like this. Murray would wipe the floor with Serena if he wanted to, and a player in the top 250 of the world would beat Serena comfortably.

    Anyone who thinks otherwise doesn't really know much about tennis.

  • Comment posted by ed allen, at 19:10 27 Jun 2013

    women are vastly overpaid compare to the men in terms of prize money, women play 3 set games men play 5 sets which isner and mahut prove can last 2days where has women's matches last 60mins.

  • Comment posted by U15773564, at 18:20 27 Jun 2013

    monkeyman,

    You are delusional. Serena would not even beat the 1000 ranked male tennis player. Men return serve a lot better than women. Also how Serena deal with the serves in the mens game, the top spin.

  • Comment posted by leavemyarsealona, at 18:10 27 Jun 2013

    OMG what news .............


    a girl no.1 wont beat a boy no.15 let alone no.3. no doubt serena is an outstanding individual but up against a top class male im sorry no chancd

  • Comment posted by beshocked, at 12:06 28 Jun 2013

    Men and women should not get equal pay in tennis. The men's game is higher quality. It is more entertaining. The men play longer - 3 sets vs 5. It's also more popular.

    Should women's footballers get equal pay to male footballers? Of course not.

    If there was a bigger market they would warrant higher salaries.

  • Comment posted by IBringTheHammer, at 12:00 28 Jun 2013

    @163 - Stranger things have happened lol.

    The whole Equal pay thing is a contentious issue. IMO, the ladies should also be playing 5 sets.

    Bringing them up a level would soon sort the best from the chaff as they would be force to work harder off court.

    As is the case for all sports, men and women at their peak of the same discipline still have a difference in physical ability. Just nature.

  • Comment posted by beardsmoreforengland, at 22:36 27 Jun 2013

    Oh, bring it on, please! It would be most amusing to see the best women's player of all time fail to win a single point against a good men's player but one well below the all-time greats.

    If women want to earn the same prize money as men, why not just enter the same draw? It's not a contact sport, they won't get hurt. If they're worth the same prize money as the men, what are they afraid of?

  • Comment posted by mrmjvc, at 20:50 27 Jun 2013

    If Murray actually tried this game would end up 6-0 6-0 with no points to Serena except through her serve. Even she admits she would be lucky to get a point. Why would anyone watch that? A 55 year old Bobby Riggs beat Margaret Court and won 12 games off the greatest women's player of the time having only returned about 2 months previously.

  • Comment posted by U14252215, at 20:18 27 Jun 2013

    Murray on his own versus both sisters would be fairer.

  • Comment posted by poinsy, at 18:00 27 Jun 2013

    I doubt this will actually happen, and am not sure what the purpose would be. So, Andy beats Serena in straight sets. So what?

  • Comment posted by GunnerStorm, at 20:59 28 Jun 2013

    I dont understand, I thought Serena only competes in the women's tournament because he isn't good enough as a man? He's fooled you and the tournament organisers for years here if you think he's actually a woman hahahahah.

  • Comment posted by Amelia-jane, at 12:50 28 Jun 2013

    I don't agree with equal prize money, as women's tennis isn't played at the same level - only three sets, there is no sound reason for this. We can run marathons....However, premiership footballers sit on the bench for less money than Serena picks up for winning a Grand Slam.

  • Comment posted by David, at 11:57 28 Jun 2013

    I think that tennis and other sports discriminate between a man and a woman. Why not just have an open draw open to anyone and stop this discrimination, surely this is not even lawful.

  • Comment posted by Candas, at 11:47 28 Jun 2013

    Still think women deserve the same amount of money men do? In fact, in Grand Slams women have time to play Doubles and Mixed Doubles because their Singles matches are short. This means in actual fact that women earn much more than the men. Hardly sounds right considering the Men are far far better than the women and have to work much harder in and "OFF" the court.

  • Comment posted by miwc, at 10:54 28 Jun 2013

    I have the greatest of admiration for Serena but she has not had to hone her physical performance as the women's game is less of an endurance contest than the men's.

    Murray's training has been all about fitness and strength and is undoubtedly fitter than Williams.

    If the match were for charity it would be fine so long as nothing serious were read into the outcome.

  • Comment posted by IBringTheHammer, at 10:16 28 Jun 2013

    The reason Serena dominates womens tennis > she worked hard at her strength and fitness.You can see the power she has developed just by looking at her. I reckon she could easily be top 20 in mens game.

    Technically, women can be just as good, but there isn't the same level of physicality (Generally).
    You don't see W/ 100m sprinters only sprint 85m. Need more parity at the slams IMO.

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