Wimbledon is "considering implementing a new rule to deter injured players from stepping on to court to guarantee prize money" of roughly $45,000, only to then quit during the match, after a "frustrating series of retirements" on Tuesday, according to Stuart Fraser of the LONDON TIMES. Spectators at Centre Court were left "deeply disappointed after two matches in a row ended in retirements." Alexandr Dolgopolov and Martin Klizan -- the opponents of Roger Federer and Nojak Djokovic, respectively -- "each called an end to proceedings after less than 45 minutes of action." In total, there have been eight retirements, with "seven of them in the first round of the men’s singles, compared with none last year." Djokovic and Federer "urged the four grand-slam tournaments to follow the lead of the ATP Tour, which is trialing a new rule to help combat such occurrences." A source said that the trial was "being monitored" by the All England Lawn Tennis Club and that it "may lobby for its inclusion in the grand-slam rulebook." The ATP's rule "allows for a player, up to twice a year, to withdraw before a first-round match and still collect his full prize money." A "lucky loser, who is on standby after being beaten in the final round of qualifying, will then take his place and would earn further prize money only if he wins the match" (LONDON TIMES, 7/5). In London, Jack Pitt-Brooke wrote retirements have been the "story of the first round." This "spate of pull-outs raised the questions about whether players are showing up unfit, just to receive" their first round prize money (INDEPENDENT, 7/5). USA TODAY's Sandra Harwitt reported Federer said, "If you walk out on Centre Court, there is a responsibility. ... A player should not go on court if he knows he could not finish" (USA TODAY, 7/5).
TAKE THE MONEY & RUN?: TENNIS.com's Steve Tignor wrote the guaranteed prize money is "far more than smaller tournaments can offer." It is "easy to see the temptation for an injured pro to show up, start a first-round match, qualify for the money and call it a day." If a player does not earn prize money, he does not get paid at all. There are withdrawals "at every tournament," and by the time Wimbledon is over, fans "may hardly even remember having talked about this issue" (TENNIS.com, 7/4).
MONEY WILL NOT LAST: THE AUSTRALIAN's Jacquelin Magnay reported former tennis player John Newcombe warned Bernard Tomic that "the money goes away pretty quick" and that he had only a year before he could "find himself in big trouble with sponsorships drying up unless he changes his attitude to tennis." Tomic "already found himself in hot water" with Wimbledon officials after admitting he had not suffered an injury during a second set medical break, but had "feigned one to break the momentum of his opponent." Tomic said that he was "a little bit bored out there" before making a "bizarre" outburst. He said, "I feel holding a trophy or, you know, doing well, it doesn't satisfy me anymore. It's not there. I couldn't care less if I make a fourth-round US Open or I lose first round" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 7/5).
