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Associated Press 16y

Women's tour CEO Larry Scott reacts to Richard Williams' remarks on racism

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. -- WTA head Larry Scott said Thursday
that he strongly disagrees with comments made by Richard Williams,
father of Serena and Venus, regarding racism on the women's tour.

Saying he was disappointed by Williams' recent remarks during an
interview in India, Scott said in a statement: "The Tour has a
zero tolerance policy when it comes to racism, and I have
previously let Mr. Williams know that he should let me know if he
ever had evidence of racist comments or acts in women's
professional tennis."

While his daughters were playing earlier this month in
Bangladore, India, where Venus reached the quarterfinals and Serena
won the title, Williams told the Deccan Herald, "Well, I'm black
and I'm prejudiced, very prejudiced. People are prejudiced in
tennis. I don't think Venus or Serena was ever accepted by tennis.
They never will be."

He said the media treated his daughters unfairly, that it was
"the worst media job that they have done on any human being in the
world," and that if he were Serena and Venus, he would have quit
playing.

"But if you get some little white no-good trasher in America
like Tracy Austin or Chris Evert, who cannot hit the ball, they
(the media) will claim this is great," he said.

Scott said, "Champions like Chris Evert and Tracy Austin have
done so much to help build women's tennis to where it is today, and
it is regrettable that anyone would criticize them in this
manner."

The Williams sisters haven't played at Indian Wells since 2001.
They were booed after Venus pulled out of a semifinal match against
her sister, citing knee tendinitis. Serena went on to win the
title, but was booed during and after the championship match.

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