Vera Zvonareva: I wouldn't criticize Novak Djokovic hard

Former world No. 2 Vera Zvonareva says she wouldn't criticize world No. 1 Novak Djokovic hard for what happened at the Adria Tour but she underlines that obviously some mistakes were made at the event. 

The Adria Tour -- which was founded by 17-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic -- ended in disaster as four players who participated at the event tested positive for the coronavirus.

Djokovic received the most criticism for what happened as the Adria Tour featured packed crowds and players shook hands and hugged.

"I wouldn't criticize him hard, but I would say that maybe he rushed into it too much. Maybe he didn’t take all the measures that he should have taken to avoid such consequences. If you aren't able to provide safety for players, audience, people around, it’s better not to do that," Zvonareva told RT Sport.

"It’s a complicated situation I’m sure that he tried his best to give opportunities to some players to get back to the court and compete. But maybe some safety measures were not taken properly.

"Maybe everyone thought that Serbia and Croatia were ready to have those international events. Maybe their government should have said something like 'We are not yet ready.' Maybe Novak thought that they are fine and everything would be OK. And that was a mistake. Of course it raised a lot of concerns for other events as well."

Vera Zvonareva names Serena Williams as one of her toughest opponents

Two-time Grand Slam runner-up Zvonareva and former world No. 1 Williams have clashed 10 times throughout their careers. 

"Of course it’s always tough to play against Serena, she is such a powerful player. She's won so many Slams and surely she is one of the most toughest competitors out there," Zvonareva said.

"She has an all-around-the-court game, she is able to serve very hard. But at the same time she can place the ball wherever she wants. She not just about the power, she is also a crafty player, she reads the game. She understands the moment when she needs to play the certain way. She can also change her game plan during the match, not so many players are able to adapt quickly. There are many things that make her great."

Williams won the last two meetings between the two as Vera Zvonareva hasn't beaten the former world No. 1 since their 2011 Eastbourne clash.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3in26r4