Tennis: Wimbledon 99 - Court Circular
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Your support makes all the difference.How Novotna's pay upstaged Sampras
WHILE THE storm over equal pay for men and women at the championships continues to rage, The Independent can reveal that wage parity at the All England Club is already here, and its value is pounds 3.75. That, at least, is the hourly rate paid to canteen staff, bar workers and other service personnel, regardless of gender.
"Of course we get the same as the men," one waitress said. "We do the same work and get the same pay." Opinion among the event staff over whether women tennis players should receive the same as the men was divided.
"It should be like that [with the men's champion receiving 10 per cent more than the women's]. Women play three sets and men play five," said one (male) sweet seller on the Bon Bons stall.
"It's not right," said a (female) colleague on another stall. "Women play in the same events and get the same crowds. Men might play five sets, but the women still do their job."
No doubt the debate has some steam left in it yet left, but one statistic from last year is worth considering. Pete Sampras, the men's champion, took home pounds 435,000 from SW19, while Jana Novotna, the women's champion, took away pounds 468,580. She won pounds 391,500 for her win in the singles plus pounds 77,080 for being one half of the winning pair in the women's doubles.
If only the poor men had the strength to compete in two events, perhaps they would have a chance of catching up in the earnings stakes.
HAS Anna Kournikova, the 18-year-old Russian uber babe, been indulging in a spot of Clinton-esque wordplay to keep us guessing whether she is single or not? "I do not have a boyfriend," she said firmly on Monday. What, then, is Sergei Federov, the ice-hockey player and former beau whom she was spotted holding hands with in Wimbledon village yesterday? A fiance, perhaps?
THE JURY is still out on the correct pronunciations of Grzybowska, Hrdlickova, Hrbaty and Gorrochategui but at least we now know how to say Shi-Ting Wang. Contrary to popular opinion, the Taiwanese player's name does not sound the same as it is written. On her way to defeat against Jana Novotna yesterday, there were plenty of chances to hear that it is actually spoken "Shi-Ting Wong".
TECHNOLOGY HAS advanced so fast that there is no longer an SW19 postal district, at least not as far as some mobile phone companies are concerned. Switch on some phones and the display tells you the area you are in and the dialling code. Within the grounds of the All England Club, the only display is "Wimbledon Tennis 99". Leave the premises and everything returns to normal. Spooky.
DEEDS OF THE SEEDS
Men's singles
1 Sampras
plays
S Lareau
in 2nd rd
Holder
Pete Sampras
(United States)
2 Rafter
beat
C Caratti
in 1st rd
3 Kafelnikov
beat
M Larsson, in 1st rd
4 Agassi
beat
A Pavel
in 1st rd
5 Krajickek
beat
C Ruud
in 1st rd
6 Henman
plays
C Woodruff
in 2nd rd
7 Philippoussis
plays
Woodforde
in 2nd rd
8 Martin
beat
Dreekmann
in 1st rd
9 Rusedski
plays
A Parmar
in 2nd rd
10 Ivanisevic
plays
M Tillstrom
in 1st rd
11 Kuerten
beat
C Wilkinson
in 1st rd
12 Moya
plays
J Courier
in 2nd rd
13 Kucera
plays
A Sa
in 2nd rd
14 Haas
plays
P Wessels
in 1st rd
15 Kiefer
beat
C Vinck
in 1st rd
16 Mantilla
plays
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
plays
de Swardt
in 2nd rd
3 Davenport
beat
A Fusai
in 1st rd
4 Seles
plays
Weingartner
in 2nd rd
5 Novotna
beat Shi-
Ting Wang
in 1st rd
6 V Williams
plays
E Tatarkova
in 2nd rd
7 Sanchez
beat
A Foldenyi
in 1st rd
8 Tauziat
plays
A Hopmans
in 2nd rd
9 Pierce
beat
F Zuluaga
in 1st rd
11 Halard-Decugis
beat
S Nacuk
12 Coetzer
plays
M Saeki
in 2nd rd
13 Testud
plays
B Rittner
in 2nd rd
14 Schett
beat
Leon Garcia
in 1st rd
15 Van Roost
plays
K Boogert
in 2nd rd
16 Zvereva
beat
K Po
in 1st rd
17 Kournikova
plays
A Vento
in 2nd rd
LENS MAGNETS
A photo count from yesterday's national press (seedings in brackets)
MEN NUMBER OF PHOTOGRAPHS WOMEN
Tim Henman (6) 23 22 Anna Kournikova (17) Greg Rusedski (9) 11 7 Venus Williams (6)
Sampras & Parmar 7 5 Steffi Graf (2)
The total photo count since 21 June
Tim Henman (6) 45 33 Anna Kournikova (17)
Greg Rusedski (9) 31 20 Martina Hingis (1)
Pete Sampras (1) 20 14 Venus Williams (6)
CHAMPIONSHIP STATISTICS
2 The number of games that Hingis won during her first-round defeat against Jelena Dokic.
1994 The last year the No 1 seed was beaten in the first round (Steffi Graf lost to Lori McNeil).
54 Minutes it took Dokic to thrash Hingis.
5 Years the BBC has managed to cling on to the TV and radio rights to Wimbledon.
3 Match points Boris Becker saved on his way to a five-set victory over Miles MacLagan.
TV COVERAGE
BBC2: 12.0pm-2.40pm; 4pm-8.30pm.
BBC1: 1.40pm-4.10pm.
Highlights: BBC2: 9.30pm.
TODAY'S WEATHER
After a damp start it should become brighter, but showers are possible in the afternoon. Maximum temp: 20C (68F).
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