Mesh Tennis

Looks like she has a good chance to play the final, as she is up next against a qualifier in the Memphis event.

The other semifinal will send Shahar Peer against Meilen Tu.

Peer was a 6-0, 6-3, winner over Bethanie Mattek and Tu advanced with a 6-0, 6-2, decision over defending champion Sofia Arvidsson. Sports Update

Justine Henin will seek her fourth Dubai Women’s Open title on Saturday when she plays 2005 champion Amelie Mauresmo in the final.

In Friday’s semifinals, top-seeded Henin beat third-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia 1-6, 6-4, 6-0 for the third time in tournament history, and second-seeded Mauresmo led 6-2 when fifth-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia retired with an ankle injury.
MSNBC

Not much changes, huh? - here’s Serena helping Russell Simmons launch a jewelry line this week with Eva Pigford.

Tennis mag has a great photo gallery that I just noticed. Check out this photo of Daniela Hantuchova. She looks great - except for those poor beaten up toes! Tennis is hard on those feet…you can see the feet in the large size photo (assuming they keep it up, looks like a mistake).

Venus Williams, one of the leading campaigners for the move said Wimbledon had done the right thing, describing it as “a wonderful day.”

“I just feel that in the modern world with the modern thoughts, we all understand that everyone’s equal,” the American former world number one told reporters after her 7-6 6-4 quarter-final win over fellow American Laura Granville at the Memphis International.

“So if someone else doesn’t choose to live in the modern world and do the right thing, then thank God that the majority of people in the All England Club do.”

Germany’s Tommy Haas, however, said the decision was unfair.

“I don’t think it’s really fair,” the world number nine said after his 7-6 7-6 second-round win over American Amer Delic, which moved him closer to the $128,000 first prize (compared with the women’s winner, who will receive $28,000).

“I think the depth of men’s tennis is much tougher than the women’s, plus we play best of five sets.”

Haas said men had to be in top physical condition to succeed at the grasscourt grand slam.

“You might think it’s not as brutal but you have to be in unbelievable shape on grass, even if the ball stays low and the points are shorter,” the German said.

“Not to say that the women don’t deserve it. The top players train very hard and are very good tennis players but in general I don’t agree with it.” Reuters

The article continues on to quote Andy Murray as saying it is a good thing.

I found a few different viewpoints, so I decided to beat the almost dead horse a bit more.

If women tennis players were “equal” to male tennis players then the whole issue of equal pay could be solved by abolishing the gender distinction and having everyone compete for the combined pot of prize-money.

But women want to have it both ways. They insist on excluding men from their events on the grounds of inequality (men are more powerful, etc) but then demand to be paid the same amount on the grounds of equality. The arguments of the likes of Billie Jean King are, therefore, not only economically dubious but deeply hypocritical.

When Venus Williams wrote in The Times last year that the unequal prize-money was discriminatory, she was right – but not in the way she thought. She pointed out that the men’s champion received 5 per cent more cash than his female counterpart (£655,000 compared to £625,000). What she failed to mention is that men also generate far more revenue. Although income streams for a tennis match are diverse, a good comparison is to be found in the television viewing figures. If you take the past five years, the men’s singles final has averaged 20 per cent more viewers than the women’s.

In other words, the men were generating 20 per cent more income while receiving only 5 per cent more income. So, while the women were complaining about unequal prize-money they were actually benefiting from a significant cross-subsidy. That is what I call discrimination.

The only final in recent years in which the women commanded a higher audience than the men was in 2005. Williams wielded this as a clinching argument for equal prize-money (it was, in fact, an argument for higher prize-money in 2005), but she failed to mention that this was an exception. Why else is it that the ATP pays significantly more prize-money than the WTA for comparable events? Williams also talked about the symbolic value of equality. In which case she should take aim at the insult to women represented by the fact that they are considered too frail to compete over five sets.

One notes in passing an additional anomaly. If a sexy and popular player loses to a lacklustre opponent, it is the latter who pockets the prize-money even though it was the former who generated the public’s interest. One can imagine a system in future years in which a player is paid a fee based upon, say, viewing figures, which is then topped up with prize-money. Appearance money in golf competitions approximates to this approach. Times Online

“This is a great victory for women all around the world. I had said it is only a matter of time and I think they have made the right decision,” Mauresmo said after carving out a stiff three-set win against Daniela Hantuchova to enter the semifinals of the Dubai Duty Free Women’s Open yesterday.

Wimbledon chiefs yesterday announced that they will pay men and women equal prize money for the first time this year.

This decision overturns more than a century of deliberate inequality in pay, while also bringing the Grand Slam closer to the US Open and Australian Open who both give equal prize money.

Two years back, Dubai Duty Free - owners and organisers of the Dubai Tennis Championships - announced equal prize money of $1.5 million each for both men and women.

Tim Phillips, Chairman of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, which runs Wimbledon said that “the time is right to bring this subject to a logical conclusion and eliminate the difference.”

“For the past four or five years, women have been pushing hard for this change.

“They resisted, but ultimately they had to give in,” Mauresmo stated.

The French Open is the only Grand Slam now which does not offer equal pay packets to both men and women.

“Just like Wimbledon really did not have a choice, I can see the French Open is going to struggle.

“This has been going on for years and it won’t be long before the French Open too follows suit,” Mauresmo predicted.

“I think it is a matter of principle.

“Why should women be paid less for doing the same job?” she queried. Gulfnews

She was up late playing, then lost the next day to Jankovic…

“They have to do something about the scheduling of the matches. They could have shifted one of the singles on the side court and kept only four on centre court. Or maybe they should consider starting the matches earlier in the afternoon,” Hingis offered.

“It was difficult conditions out there. It was impossible, but maybe they will learn from this,” she added.

“I think they need to seriously take a look at the structure of the tournament and see whether it is the right thing to put maybe six matches on one court [centre court] or just get on with the schedule. But the thing is I like this tournament so much,” Hingis added.

Tournament Director Salah Tahlak said: “The Dubai Tennis Championships is a world-class tournament which is committed to providing the best possible experience.

“There are a number of factors considered when it comes to the scheduling of matches and every attempt is made to ensure that the schedule works in the best interests of the players, spectators and live television.” Gulfnews

Hosted at the Dubai Aviation Club, players were treated to an open-air Arabian night complete with fine cuisine, fire-blowers and belly dancing.

A magician entertained guests as he made his way from table to table, while many took advantage of the opportunity to get henna tattoos and ride on a camel against the picturesque backdrop of the Tennis Village.

The players further added to the evening’s ambiance with a number of women’s stars garbing themselves in traditional Arabic dress. Khaleej

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