The BBC presenter John Inverdale has apologised to the Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli for describing her as not a looker shortly after her victory on Saturday calling his remarks clumsy and ham fisted .
Opening his coverage of Sunday's men's final for BBC 5 Live Inverdale told listeners he had written to the player to apologise if any offence was caused after his comments a day earlier sparked a furious response.
The BBC was forced to apologise after Inverdale speaking before the start of Bartoli's match against Germany's Sabine Lisicki told listeners of 5 Live Do you think Bartoli's dad told her when she was little 'You're never going to be a looker you'll never be a Sharapova so you have to be scrappy and fight'
The comment provoked an immediate online backlash with many taking to Twitter to condemn the presenter's comments some under the hashtag everydaysexism. Appalling comments from John Inverdale. Imagine how that will affect all the young girls watching today wrote user purpelle.
John Inverdale is never going to be a looker or a thinker or as good at anything as Bartoli said a second Twitter user.
Don't hear them commenting on Murray's looks wrote another.
Bartoli said that Inverdale's comment would not ruin the greatest day of her life. Photograph AFP/Getty ImagesHaving initially tried to defuse the row on Saturday by saying he had been attempting to poke fun in a nice way about how she looks Inverdale was forced to return to the subject a day later saying Before we start I probably ought to return to yesterday and a clumsy phrase I used.
He said he had been trying to make the point in a ham fisted way that in a world where players are all six foot tall Bartoli's achievement was particularly impressive the Frenchwoman is 5'7.
I have apologised to Marion by letter if any offence was caused and I do hope we can leave the matter there.
Asked about the comments following her match Bartoli said It doesn't matter honestly. I am not blond yes. That is a fact. Have I dreamt about having a model contract No. I'm sorry.
But have I dreamed about winning Wimbledon Absolutely yes. And to share this moment with my dad was absolutely amazing and I am so proud of it.
In remarks to French journalists she added she wanted the BBC man to come and see her at the traditional end of Wimbledon ball in London. Good I invite this journalist to come and see me this evening in ball gown and heels and in my opinion he could change his mind.
She would be able to watch the match repeatedly on DVD and look at photographs of herself holding the trophy. That is the most important thing to me and not what I can do outside of the court.
Walter Bartoli the player's father said The relationship between Marion and me has always been unbelievable so I don't know what this reporter is talking about. When she was five years old she was playing like every kid and having fun on the tennis court. She's my beautiful daughter.
The BBC later said 'We accept that this remark was insensitive and for that we apologise but it resisted calls for the commentator to be replaced for coverage of the men's final as a result of his comments.
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