The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Royal box glitters with a galaxy of stars

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 03, 2006

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Sport - Tennis

Royal box glitters with a galaxy of stars

WIMBLEDON : The Royal Box at Wimbledon was the place to be on Saturday, packed with sports stars and celebrities.

The list included Roger Bannister, who broke the four-minute mile in 1954, former Wimbledon champions Margaret Court, Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King, Maria Bueno, Stan Smith and Steffi Graf — who watched her husband, Andre Agassi, lose to Rafael Nadal on Centre Court.

Five-time Olympic gold medallist rower Steve Redgrave was joined by golfer Ernie Els, English cricketer Alec Stewart and International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge.

Sharapova looking sharp

Look who quietly slipped into the fourth round at Wimbledon: cover girl Maria Sharapova. Centre Court was half empty and the Royal Box deserted when the paparazzi's favorite player took the court on Saturday. Many fans were either seeking a refreshment after watching the Andre Agassi-Rafael Nadal match or off to find a telecast of England's loss in the World Cup.

It's unlikely Sharapova has ever played before so many unoccupied seats — not that it fazed her. "I don't really pay attention," she said.

The reward's the same regardless of attendance, and 2004 champion Sharapova advanced to Monday's round of 16 by beating American Amy Frazier 6-3, 6-2.

"I got a pretty good test today," Sharapova said. "I definitely feel confident going into the fourth round."

While Sharapova is only 19, Frazier was the oldest woman in the draw at 33. It was her 18th Wimbledon, most among active women.

"The atmosphere, the tradition — it's always, `Wow, it's Wimbledon,"' said Frazier, who has no plans to retire. "I don't think my outlook has changed that much through the years. I try to work hard, and I keep on trying to improve and hopefully play good tennis. Sometimes it happens, and sometimes it doesn't."

From Russia, with car

Dmitry Tursunov moved from Russia to the United States when he was 12, and has spent half of his life in California, making him qualified to discuss the differences between the two countries.

Tursunov, who came back from two sets down on Saturday to beat fifth-seeded Ivan Ljubicic in the third round, says one of the biggest differences is the way Americans and Russians treat their material possessions, especially their cars.

"Maybe in Russia people appreciate certain things more than in the United States because in America, every family has one or two cars, so they don't treat their cars like it's something special," he said. "In Russia, until fairly recently, not very many people could afford cars."

Tursunov has a special interest in sports cars, and admits he treats his pretty well.

"It's always sitting in the shop, unfortunately," he said. "The more money I make, the better care it gets." — AP

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