On the eve of Wimbledon, world number one player Martina Hingis has criticised her rival Venus Williams – the defending All England Lawn champ – for her risque court attire. The Swiss Miss hits out at the controversial champion, saying: “I could never wear an outfit like Venus Williams wears. My job is to play tennis – not to be showing off that much.”
Venus, who has taken several fashion design classes, debuted a daring slashed-front dress at the Australin open earlier this year. “I don’t think anyone had a positive thing to say about that dress,” 20-year-old Martina told UK tabloid The Sun. “On people who can wear it, it looks good. Anna Kournikova always looks brilliant in her little tank tops and shorts. But I just think you need to ge comfortable in what you are wearing.”
Martina, who is said to be worth £60 million, will sport a newly-designed long-sleeve Adidas outfit when she steps onto the famed grass courts this week. And though she’s listed as the number one seed for the fortnight, she hasn’t won a Grand Slam event since the 1999 Australian Open.
The much-chronicled rivalry between the two may have something to do with the rising demand for Wimbledon tickets, and the staggering price tag that accompanies the few remaining seats. Though most tickets for the final event are sold for a relatively modest £66, several thousand are set aside for those who can afford to pay cosiderably more, namely corporations. Seats for this year’s Wimbledon women’s final sold for £1,510 each, and were quickly snapped up by companies.
Though the price is steep, officials are quick to point out the luxuries attached to the tickets. “This does include executive parking, a champagne and canapes reception, an a la carte lunch, full afternoon tea with strawberries and cream at a private table for two and access to a complimentary bar,” said a spokesman for Sportsworld, Wimbledon’s official ticket agent.
Tickets for the men’s final, in anticipation of a potential dramatic outing from Pete Sampras, have sold for £2,667. Wimbledon kicked off on Monday with Serena Williams swiftly defeating Hungarian Rita Kuti Kis.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
