|
French Open Notebook
Kuerten hit with $7,000 fine for tossing racket
Posted: Wednesday June 03, 1998 06:08 PM
| |
Temper temper: Kuerten was fined $7,000 for tossing his racket at an umpire during his doubles match Wednesday. The racket missed the mark and hit a fan (AP) |
PARIS (AP) -- Defending French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten was fined $7,000 on Wednesday, losing about a quarter of his prize money at Roland Garros for tossing his racket at an umpire.
The outburst happened during the Brazilian's tie-breaker of his doubles match Tuesday. The racket missed the umpire and hit a fan, resulting in Kuerten's disqualification.
Kuerten, who was beaten in the second round in singles, made about $617,000 in winning the tournament last year, more than 20 times what he made this year.
Lost and found
The Williams sisters are out of the tournament, but their trademark beads have more staying power on the court.
It's not unusual to see a bead or two fall unto the clay court during a match, but in Venus' fourth-round match against Henrieta Nagyova ball girls and ball boys even found an entire string of beads.
The string of beads was added to the pile of rackets and T-shirts left on the courts by the players. At the end of the tournament the lost-and-found items are raffled among the ball girls and boys.
No barking during play
Arantxa Sanchez Vicario's mother was seen running with her daughter's Yorkshire terrier Roland in a quiet corner of the stadium just before Arantxa's match against Patty Schnyder on Tuesday.
The object of the exercise was to tire the dog so it would stay quiet during the match, the French sports daily L'Equipe reported.
The dog, named after Roland Garros, can get into the stadium and has its own pass with name and ID picture.
Keep off the grass
What's wrong with grass? Quite a lot, according to French Open players.
Spanish players are notorious for saying grass is for cows. Marat Safin, the Russian who lost to Cedric Pioline in the quarterfinals, wants no part of it.
"Never ... in my life," he said.
On Wednesday, Belgium's Filip DeWulf gave yet another reason for not playing tennis on grass.
"On grass, I'd rather play soccer," he said.
| 
