The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Saying no to weapons, stalkers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jun 22, 2004

Sport

Sport - Tennis

Saying no to weapons, stalkers

WIMBLEDON, JUNE 21. English police are asking tennis fans to leave their weapons behind when they come to Wimbledon. And stalkers aren't welcome at the lawn tennis championships, either.

``We're taking a robust approach toward arresting anybody who might turn up with any sort of offensive weapon — those people can expect to be arrested,'' said Simon Ovens, Wimbledon superintendent of the London Metropolitan Police.

``I would appeal to people not to turn up with any sort of weapon that they don't need.''

Do people need to be told? ``Oh yes, indeed,'' said Ovens, ``it's extraordinary what people turn up with.''

Stalkers had been cordially uninvited to Wimbledon, he added. ``People that we had issues with last year have been written to and asked to stay away,'' Ovens said. If they don't heed the warning, ``they'll be robustly dealt with.''

Ovens wouldn't detail security measures, but insisted there was no specific threat against Wimbledon.

``The measures are commensurate with the threat level facing London,'' he said. ``We live in dangerous times and we're well aware of the general threat to London at the moment from various organizations. Our aim is to police this event in a manner that is safe.

``Is the world a more dangerous place than this time last year? Yeah, it probably is.''

Fans, officials and staff, including police, were forced to walk through metal detectors and have their bags searched at all entrances to the All England Club.

Security staff selected people to frisk as they entered and police with sniffer dogs were patrolling.

Kicking Themselves: Serena and Venus Williams have visited England often enough to understand that if something can overshadow Wimbledon, it's the national preoccupation with soccer.

Rather than compete head-on with England's run at the Euro2004 soccer championships in Portugal this week, the Williams sisters have embraced it.

Serena was featured on the front page of Monday's Daily Mail newspaper wearing a replica of David Beckham's No. 7 England jersey. The adjoining headline read: ``Move Over Becks!''

The American sisters were pictured together on the front of the Daily Express, reportedly backing England to beat Croatia in its next match Monday night.

Between photographs in The Sun, a caption said the Williams were ``quickly overcome by football fever'' after arriving for Wimbledon.

Hallowed Ground: Regardless of the consistently inclement weather at Wimbledon, U.S. Open champion Andy Roddick rates the grasscourt championship among the best sports events in the world.

``It's the prestige. I guess it's like the equivalent of going to Fenway Park or Wrigley field back home,'' said Roddick, referring to two of the most hallowed ball parks in America. ``It's a special experience just to walk through the grounds.'' — AP

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