Francesca Schiavone On Becoming Close Friends with Pennetta During Her Illness

Former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone says she became close friends with fellow Italian tennis player Flavia Pennetta during her battle with cancer last year.

In an interview to Sportface, Schiavone says, "I have never had friends in tennis, I have known Flavia Pennetta since she was little. Our relationship has grown over the years but true and beautiful friendship was born last year: I was facing chemotherapy while she was waiting for her daughter Farah. We were experiencing the same physical reactions, which however were due to two very different things."

The Italian says that she would also like to have a child but has kept that ambition on the backburner for now. "I would also like a child, but for obvious reasons now I had to put aside the hypothesis. We will see in a few years, meanwhile I would like to work in tennis again."

On her French Open win in 2010, Schiavone says, "I remember the moment when I kissed the ground, it was beautiful because for a few seconds it was just me and the clay. The following year, in the final with Li Na, the chair referee called a Chinese ball good which was clearly out , you can also see from the pictures. I went haywire and lost the game, we could go to the third set. I never asked for anything, I hope she was convinced of that call."

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2SDwthP