Whooosh!

Hi,
My wife thinks Whoosh Wimbaugh is the greatest living exponent of correct English. Speaking impromptu and very deliberately this morning, he said, "She was afraid that she had received a greater portion of X than she was deserved."

It just didn't sound right to me, but who am I to challenge the great one? Clearly, "to deserve" is transitive and therefore may be used in the passive voice.

I should think that if "she" is the subject of the clause, then "she" is the thing to be deserved, possibly by another party. Joe deserved Betty. Betty was deserved by Joe.

IMHO he should have said, " . . . that she had received a greater portion of X than she [ had ] deserved," OR " . . a greater portion of X than she was entitled to," OR " . . . a greater portion of X than was deserved."

Do you think his version is possible?

Best regards, - A.