By Scoop Malinowski
Now that Marcelo Rios’s comeback appears to be at a dead end after the tournament director at the Columbus, Ohio Challenger denied his request for a wildcard, what are the options for the former ATP world no. 1 who is presently in tip-top shape but without a suitable platform to strut his stuff?
Rios was said to be training hard last week at IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL, three weeks after his 64 57 11-9 exhibition win in Chile vs old foe Nicolas Lapentti but now he has nothing on his playing schedule, other than to help the Chilean Davis Cup team next month by serving as a volunteer hitting partner and assistant coach to captain Nicolas Massu.
Perhaps another exhibition can be arranged with Rios playing a top WTA player such as Venus Williams, Serena, Maria Sharapova or Naomi Osaka.
The controversial Chilean was never fond of the women’s game as he once called it a “joke” as he felt the WTA lacked depth of talent. “Winning a Grand Slam is easy for girls,” he declared.
After he was criticized by top players like Martina Hingis, Jennifer Capriati and Venus Williams, Rios responded: “I’m not saying that the girls are better or that guys are better than girls – I just said girls win too easy.”
Maybe Rios would like to step up to the plate and see for himself just how good the female players are today and then after he could offer the public, from an expert point of view, a newly revised opinion about if ladies tennis is still a joke or has it come a long way in the last two decades?
Marcelo Rios to co-star in the next edition of the tennis Battle of the Sexes? Stranger things have happened in tennis.
Rios is at a point right now where his competitive juices are flowing and he is eager for a battle, any kind of important battle on the court.
Or how about a Rios and his pal Roger Federer vs Serena and Steffi Graf mixed doubles showdown for charity?
