It's just hellish out there

It's just hellish out there
AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE

London, July 2: Hell hath no fury like, er, a tennis tournament scorned.

That's been the exotic menu at Wimbledon so far.

The tournament got off on the wrong foot when Spanish pair Alex Corretja and Albert Costa withdrew after a row over their non-seeding and by the end of the opening day, the rain had organisers scurrying to put the covers on.

Seven men's seeds and seven women's seeds went out in the opening two rounds, French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten bit the dust on Saturday and defending men's champion Pete Sampras has faced a battle to overcome a shin injury to stay on course for a seventh title.

Defending women's champion Lindsay Davenport, who came into the event with a back problem, then joined Monica Seles in complaining the season is too long and is responsible for a shoal of injuries.

The parent from Hell title has gone so far to Damir Dokic, father of Aussie prodigy Jelena Dokic, last year's semi-finalist. Damir Dokic was warned on Friday he could be banned from the event after breaking a reporter's mobile phone on Thursday before police escorted him from the premises, although no action was taken.

French star Anne-Gaelle Sidot was then embroiled in a row over racism following allegations by black US teenager Alexandra Stevenson she had made racist commments about the American, who further alleged another French player, Amelie Cocheteux, had racially abused her at another tournament earlier this year.

Another parent in the headlines alongside Dokic was Stephenson's mother Samantha, who apart from also having an altercation with Sidot was among mothers banned from the dressing room under new regulations introduced this year.

Tournament authorities have banned mothers from the women players' dressing rooms at the All-England Club after a series of complaints that they were trying to ``psych out'' opponents in the dressing room before matches.

It was almost hellish for 1992 men's single champion Andre Agassi on Friday when he went to the brink of defeat, surviving two match points in his second-round marathon against fellow American Todd Martin.

But the Las Vegan showman survived and having seen off Jerome Golmard of France with little ado on Saturday, he now wants to give last year's conqueror Sampras hell in the final in a week's time.

For Andre, that would be just heaven though.