Wimbledon Becomes Richest Grand Slam

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) -- Wimbledon will be the richest Grand Slam in history, with both the female and male champion earning $1.4 million.

The only Grand Slam tournament on grass will offer total prize money of $22,572,011, an increase of 8.7 percent, organizers said Tuesday. The increase reflects the recent change to pay women the same as men from the first round to the final for the first time since Wimbledon began offering prize money in 1968. The pay equity was announced on Feb. 22.
''No tennis tournament has ever offered higher prize money than Wimbledon in 2007,'' All England Club chairman Tim Phillips said.
Last year, Wimbledon champion Roger Federer earned $1.17 million while Amelie Mauresmo took home $1.11 million.
At this year's Australian Open, Federer and Serena Williams each earned $1.05 million. The French Open will award champions $1.36 million.
Federer and Maria Sharapova, the 2006 U.S. Open champions, won $1.2 million each. The U.S. Open plans to announce its prize money in July.
Wimbledon, which runs from June 25 to July 8, also announced it would use instant replay technology for the first time, subject to final testing in May. The Hawk-Eye technology, used at the U.S. Open for the first time last year and at this year's Australian Open, will be on Centre Court and court No. 1 only.
Large screens will show replays on the two courts.
The exact protocol of Wimbledon's Hawk-Eye system has yet to be established. The U.S. and Australian Opens offer a player two challenges on line calls per set.
''There are slightly different circumstances on a grass surface,'' Wimbledon chief executive Ian Ritchie said. ''So we're looking at a bit of an alternative, maybe a bit of an extension.''
The existing cyclops technology will be moved to courts two, 14 and 18. Cyclops, which has been used at Wimbledon since 1980, is a system of infrared beams which helps determine if serves are in or out.
''We do feel it's a good thing to introduce,'' Ritchie said. ''We're all confident there won't be any issues arising in May and we'll be using it come the championships.''
Because of plans to install a retractable roof over Centre Court, the main venue has no roof this year. It will be the first time in the building's 85-year history that no roof will be on Centre Court. Three extra rows of bleachers on three sides have been built, with 500 extra seats available at this year's tournament.
Next year, there will be a non-moveable roof, with a hydraulic roof to be completed by 2009, and the capacity increasing to 15,000 from 13,800. The seats will be wider.
''People are getting bigger,'' Phillips said.
Wimbledon also announced plans for a new Court No. 2 to be ready in 2009.