As a former Wimbledon champion himself, one might expect Michael Stich to appreciate the skill and dedication required to play tennis at the highest level and to compete in the world's most prestigious tournament. However, just ahead of the 2009 tournament kick-off, Stich, now a BBC Radio 5 Live commentator, has sparked outrage amongst some of tennis' female stars by stating that their role is as much about "selling sex" as it is their skills on the court.

Stich, who was the men's singles champion in 1991, made the comments last night after involving himself in an arguement over the loud grunting that many of the sport's top women engage in during play.

Stich, 40, said that the noises detracted from the women's "sex appeal", and quipped, "Just play it back to the women. It sounds disgusting, ugly, unsexy!"

When Stich was challenged that the women's role was to play the best tennis they could rather than look sexy, he stuck to his stance: "That's what they sell. They want to look good, they pay attention to their looks and everything."

The former German champ also joked that the only way to stop women players from grunting was to "shoot them."

Some females are outraged by Stich's remarks, while others aren't so much. Two-time Wimbledon champ Serena Williams said:

"Sex sells! It’s great for Angelina Jolie and it’s true across the board. I’ve never been one of the loudest grunters. I just play my game and sometimes I grunt and sometimes I don’t. I’m not conscious when I’m doing it. I’m just zoned out. It doesn’t really affect me if my opponent is [grunting]."