Posted on 05/11/2006 10:32:09 AM PDT by RedBloodedAmerican
MADRID - World No. 3 Maria Sharapova has demanded women players receive equal prize money as men. "I believe women are strong, bold and powerful and deserve to be treated the same as men," the 19-year-old Russian told a news conference on Thursday. "There has been a long debate about equal prize money but these things take time. If we keep pushing we'll eventually get there." Of the four grand slam tournaments, Roland Garros and Wimbledon still have a differential in prize money between the men and the women, although the French Open will pay the men's and women's singles champions the same this year. Sharapova was speaking at a news conference highlighting the WTA Tour's end-of-season championships' move to Madrid. WTA Tour CEO Larry Scott hoped the championships would help promote prize money parity. "This will be the elite event in women's tennis with only the top eight players competing at the end of the season for a total prize money of $3 million. The winner will earn $1 million," Scott said. The WTA says this will equal the largest winner's purse in the history of women's sport. The event takes place in the Spanish capital's Madrid Arena from Nov. 7 to 12, in the month following the men's Madrid Masters tournament. "Madrid is known as a football city, but we hope in the future it will also become known as the capital of tennis," Madrid mayor Alberto Ruiz Gallardon said. To help promote the end-of-season event organisers have modified one of the more controversial aspects of the Madrid Masters, which uses female models as ball-girls. Later on Thursday Sharapova attends a selection process, along with a celebrity panel, to choose the male models who will act as ball-boys in November.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
I'd pay her.
Isn't this discrimination?
That'd get you into trouble with the cops dude.
She's probably got a point, I mean, who the hell watches men's tennis anyway?
Well since Women are so superiour why don't they just play in the mens tournaments?
Hahahaha!! That's funny!! Next you're going to tell me there's women's basketball...?!
I disagree. They should be paid more... at least those who look like her.
yeah and play 3 sets
L
Honestly the women should be paid MORE than the men.
No one watches the men, but the women get watched on TV all the time.
Just the way it is.
Also, play best three-of-five sets in majors and Davis Cup.
That purple Rep from Mass.....Barney Frank and friends.
Well, she sure is a good looking woman...and a fine athlete.
However, female pro tennis like female pro golf isn't nearly as exciting or interesting as men's pro tennis or men's pro golf. Compare the quality of golf at a typical LPGA event to a typical PGA event,for example, and it's not even close.
Men and women are different, Maria. Honest.
exactly.
virtually no one does.
I mean have you ever heard of Roger Federer?
If Andre Agassi had gone on a streak like he has, you would've heard of it, but I had to look it up. No one is talking about Men's Tennis, but you can't go to any sports site without seeing a story about the Williams sisters, or Sharapova or The Forehead or any of the other ones....
No, you don't, Maria. If you really thought women should be treated the same as men, you'd be calling for the elimination of the concept of "men's tennis" and "women's tennis" entirely.
Er.. make that Fed Cup (got the men's competition in my head there, sorry).
Russian women give me the creeps.
I'm supposed to take these clowns seriously? Celebrity panels?....male models?....selection processes for people who pick up tennis balls?
At this point there isn't a professional sport I can think of that I have any respect for any more.
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