Tennis: Court Circular Advice at a price from wealthy LTA
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Your support makes all the difference.IT IS heartening to know that the Lawn Tennis Association is seeking out new talent wherever it can be found, even in supermarkets. Wandering around a branch of Tesco a few minutes away from the All England Club yesterday, anyone buying strawberries would have seen that the punnets bore the LTA logo and the inclusive message of "Tennis For All". There was even a telephone number to ring for more information about what the LTA can do for you. The problem? Calls to the number cost 50p a minute, a bit rich for an organisation that creamed off pounds 33m last year from the All England Club to pump back into the domestic game.
SURELY THE establishment would never encourage tantrums, would it? We may have to think again. During yesterday's match between Louise Latimer, the British No 3, and Sarah Pitkowski of France, one member of the LTA coaching staff was clearly unhappy with a couple of calls. "Bullshit," he said after one point went against Latimer, in a voice loud enough to be heard by many standing next to the small No 4 court. "On the line counts as out now, does it?" he added, before waving an arm in the direction of the umpire. "Is she French or something?" he asked aloud of the official. Latimer, it has to be noted, behaved impeccably, despite her touchline "helper."
NOT EVERYONE was sad to see Martina Hingis depart the tournament on Tuesday. "The girl should really learn to behave with a bit more decorum," Sandy Williams, an avid Wimbledon fan, said. "We don't want to see the kind of behaviour showed in Paris," she added, as she sat on her deckchair outside the gates on Church Road yesterday. Sandy and her friend, Emma Maxwell, had been in place since 10.30am yesterday, queuing to get in for today's play behind about 25 other die-hards who got there in front of them. "We're here for Agassi," Sandy added. "And, about nine o'clock tonight, we'll bring the car over, get the duvets out and open a bottle of wine," Emma said. Is it worth it? "Of course, but some of our friends probably think we're a bit mad." For spending 24 hours on a pavement to watch a bald man with an ear-ring hit a ball? Surely not.
THE ALL England Club give you a load of old balls for money, literally. Once an hour during the tournament, it is possible to go to the "Used Balls" kiosk and buy three for pounds 2.50 or one for pounds 1. There are no guarantees as to who played with each ball, but judging by the brisk trade, such details do not matter. "I bought six balls for pounds 5," one fan said. "It's not only a saving on buying them from the shops, but we always joke that Greg Rusedski might have played with the ones we bought. We can dream, can't we?"
DEEDS OF THE SEEDS
Men's singles
1 Sampras
beat
S Lareau
in 2nd rd
Holder
Pete Sampras
(United States)
2 Rafter
plays
J Bjorkman
in 2nd rd
3 Kafelnikov
plays
Srichaphan
in 2nd rd
4 Agassi
plays
G Canas
in 2nd rd
5 Krajickek
plays
Woodbridge
in 2nd rd
6 Henman
plays
C Woodruff
in 2nd rd
7 Philippoussis
beat
Woodforde
in 2nd rd
8 Martin
plays
J Novak
in 2nd rd
9 Rusedski
beat
A Parmar
in 2nd rd
10 Ivanisevic
plays
S Stolle
in 2nd rd
OUT
11 Kuerten
plays
D Prinosil
in 2nd rd
12 Moya
lost to
J Courier
in 2nd rd
13 Kucera
beat
A Sa
in 2nd rd
OUT
14 Haas
plays
Fromberg
in 2nd rd
15 Kiefer
plays
B Becker
in 2nd rd
16 Mantilla
lost to
P Goldstein
in 2nd rd
OUT
Women's singles
1 Hingis
lost to
J Dokic
in 1st rd
Holder
Jana Novotna
(Czech Republic)
2 Graf
beat
de Swardt
in 2nd rd
3 Davenport
plays
Habsudova
in 2nd rd
4 Seles
beat
Weingartner
in 2nd rd
5 Novotna
plays
S Plischke
in 2nd rd
6 V Williams
beat
E Tatarkova
in 2nd rd
7 Sanchez
plays
L Raymond
in 2nd rd
8 Tauziat
beat
A Hopmans
in 2nd rd
9 Pierce
plays
R Grande
in 2nd rd
11 Halard-Decugis
plays
S Farina
12 Coetzer
beat
M Saeki
in 2nd rd
13 Testud
beat
B Rittner
in 2nd rd
14 Schett
plays
Dechaume-Balleret
15 Van Roost
beat
K Boogert
in 2nd rd
16 Zvereva
plays
T Panova
in 2nd rd
17 Kournikova
beat
A Vento
in 2nd rd
LENS MAGNETS
A photo count from yesterday's national press (seedings in brackets)
MEN NUMBER OF PHOTOGRAPHS WOMEN
Andre Agassi (4) 8 26 Martina Hingis (1)
Boris Becker (-) 8 23 Jelena Dokic (-)
Henman (6) & MacLagan 7 9 Anna Kournikova (17)
The total photo count since 21 June
Tim Henman (6) 52 46 Martina Hingis (1)
Greg Rusedski (9) 34 41 Anna Kournikova (17)
Pete Sampras (1) 22 23 Jelena Dokic (-)
CHAMPIONSHIP STATISTICS
494 The difference in ranking between Danny Sapsford (595), of Britain, and Spain's Galo Blanco (101) whom Sapsford beat in four sets.
66 The number of winners hit by Jim Courier during his victory over 12th seed Carlos Moya.
38 The number of aces Mark Philippoussis served during his four-set victory over his fellow Australian Mark Woodforde.
100 The percentage of break points converted by Mariaan de Swardt (2 out of 2) during her defeat by Steffi Graf.
TV COVERAGE
BBC2: 12.0pm-2.40pm; 3.30pm-8.30pm.
BBC1: 1.40pm-4.10pm.
Highlights: BBC2: 9.30pm.
TODAY'S WEATHER
Mainly dry with sunny
intervals. Isolated showers during the course of the day.
Maximum temp: 22C (72F).
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