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Wimbledon Sunday a day of rest
29/04/2008 15:58 - (SA)
London - Wimbledon bosses have snubbed the idea of scheduling play on the middle Sunday, despite the rain that played havoc with last year's championships.
The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTCC) admitted on Tuesday there were strong arguments in favour of making "People's Sunday" permanent but thought it would dilute the schedule quality of regular match days.
The Championships have regularly run into the middle Sunday due to bad weather at the tour's grass court Grand Slam tournament, which this year runs from June 23 to July 6.
"A 13-day schedule, we feel, is about the right amount of time to get value of matches," AELTCC chief executive Ian Ritchie told a press conference at the south-west London club.
"After last year, we still feel that the same set-up will continue. We see no need for change in 2008."
Top players, including Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, slammed the club for not scheduling play on the middle Sunday in 2007 - the wettest Wimbledon in 25 years.
Club chair Tim Phillips admitted playing an extra Sunday would be good for increasing television viewers, but said it was not deemed necessary to increase Wimbledon's presence.
Long-running redevelopment
Wimbledon chiefs are conscious of the competition from other sporting events such as the football European Championships and the Olympics this year and hope their long-running redevelopment plan will ensure it remains an attractive tournament.
Phillips said renovations were on schedule, including the retractable fabric Centre Court roof that will enable play to continue through the rain.
"Through the new Centre Court facilities and the increased use of digital technology, we want to ensure that Wimbledon remains the tournament the players want to win and that, internationally, everyone wants to watch," he said.
After a year off, the fixed roof is now back on Centre Court and the first of the two 70 ton, 75m wide trusses to hold up the folding roof was winched into place on Tuesday.
The famous court's capacity has gone up from 13 808 to 15 000 with the addition of six extra rows at the top as part of the roof redevelopment.
New digital scoreboards will be deployed on Centre Court and Court 1, combining scores, Hawk-Eye graphics, live and recorded video plus a wealth of statistics.
The club has no plans for night matches using the floodlights necessary under the retractable roof - which might suit broadcasters in other time zones-- saying they needed to consult the players.
"We are still fundamentally an outdoor summer event," said Ritchie.
Equal prize money
The rickety Court 13 show court has been replaced by a new Court 2, rising 3.5m above the ground and sunk the same distance down, which will be ready for play in 2009.
Last year, Wimbledon chiefs fell more into line with the three other Grand Slam tournaments by awarding equal prize money to men and women, ending more than a century of deliberate pay inequality.
Though Phillips said the club felt it was the right thing to do, he declined to say whether he thought they got value for their extra money in 2007.
This year, the singles champions will each receive 750 000 pounds, up from 700 000 pounds in 2007.
The total prize money on offer across all the tournaments will increase by 4.7% from 11 282 000 pounds to 11 812 000 pounds.
Prize money for the singles draws is up 5.3% to 3 925 000 pounds each, while the total pot for each of the men's and ladies' doubles events will exceed one million pounds for the first time.
Meanwhile, Wimbledon's marketing reach is being extended, with 34 Wimbledon shops already operating in 14 Chinese cities and the first Wimbledon scooters going on sale in India.
The tournament seedings are to be announced on June 18, with the draw two days later.
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