tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24166676.post114593635739446071..comments2023-09-22T05:48:22.106-04:00Comments on I'm Just Sayin': All things being equalRobynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00909838671931250540noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24166676.post-1145983370170394142006-04-25T12:42:00.000-04:002006-04-25T12:42:00.000-04:00Just read. Men Still Get More Money at WimbledonB...Just read. <BR/><BR/>Men Still Get More Money at Wimbledon<BR/>By KRYSTYNA RUDZKI (AP Sports Writer)<BR/>From Associated Press<BR/><BR/>April 25, 2006 10:40 AM EDT <BR/>WIMBLEDON, England - Wimbledon remains the only Grand Slam tournament that pays the men's champion more than the women's winner.<BR/><BR/>The All England Club announced Tuesday that the men's winner this year will receive $1.170 million and the women's champion $1.117 million, a difference of $53,000. It's a 4 percent increase in British currency.<BR/><BR/>The French Open announced earlier this month that it would pay the men's and women's champions the same amount for the first time, although the overall prize fund is bigger for the men. The two other Grand Slam tournaments - the Australian and U.S. Opens - have paid equal prize money for years.<BR/><BR/>"This issue is one of a judgment on fairness," All England Club chairman Tim Phillips said. "We believe that what we do at the moment is actually fair to the men as well as to the women.<BR/><BR/>"There is a lot of data around and in the end, you have to make a judgment and our judgment is made on the marketplace and it's based on what we believe to be fair."<BR/><BR/>The WTA Tour, which has lobbied for equal pay for years, expressed disappointment that Wimbledon "continues to promote inequality in pay across the board between men and women."<BR/><BR/>"In the 21st century, it is morally indefensible that women competitors in a Grand Slam tournament should be receiving considerably less prize money than their male counterparts," WTA Tour chief executive Larry Scott said in a statement.<BR/><BR/>He accused Wimbledon of taking a "Victorian-era view" on pay.<BR/><BR/>"It's surprising that Wimbledon, which has been such a leader in our sport, has chosen to lag behind the other Grand Slams on the issue of equality," Scott said. "Wimbledon represents so much that is good about modern British society, but inequality should not be part of the Wimbledon brand."<BR/><BR/>Overall, prize money for the June 26-July 9 championships will be $18.549 million, a 2.9 percent increase over last year's total.<BR/><BR/>Phillips said because top men rarely play in Grand Slam doubles events, they earn less overall than women. In addition, the men play best-of-five set matches, while the women play best-of-three.<BR/><BR/>"It just doesn't seem right to us that the lady players could play in three events and could take away significantly more than the men's champion who battles away through these best-of-five matches," Phillips said. "We don't see it as an equal rights issue."<BR/><BR/>Phillips said he didn't think it would be beneficial for women to play best-of-five sets.<BR/><BR/>"Physically they could, yes," he said. "Our argument does go wider. One of the difficulties we have in defending our position is that we are talking effectively to the top women players."<BR/><BR/>Phillips said the WTA Tour paid 63 percent less to players in an average week than the ATP Masters Series did.<BR/><BR/>"Whereas we're 87 percent," Phillips said. "So it seems to me we are much closer to equal prize money than they are on the rest of the tour."<BR/><BR/>Wimbledon said it will not use Hawk-Eye computer technology to review disputed line calls.<BR/><BR/>"The club has held discussions with the manufacturers and the International Tennis Federation and has decided that as suitable testing has not yet been carried out by them on grass, the system will not be used for line-calling this year," said Ian Ritchie, All England Club chief executive.<BR/><BR/>Testing will be done before and after matches at this year's tournament.<BR/><BR/>Last month, the ATP and WTA Tours decided to use replays in selected tournaments. This year's U.S. Open will be the first Grand Slam event to review disputed calls.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com