Gossip emanating from the locker room has it that the big-serving `scud' Australian Mark Philippoussis and France Mary Pierce, nicknamed The Body, are seeing a lot of each other. The Australian has a macho image on the Tour, and according to the video store near the All England Club where players frequent looking to hire some good movies, Philippoussis apparently rented out the Jungle Book, something which goes against his image.

Meanwhile, Marcelo Rios, the most unpopular player in the locker room, left Wimbledon after his loss to Boris Becker, without meeting the Nike representatives who were present to celebrate the first day of his œ 10 million sponsorship.

LOW B(L)OW: One of the members of the Royal family, Princess Michael, was present in the Royal Box during the Becker-Rios match. But neither player made the customary bow because the Royal Box's military service steward failed to press the button which alerts the master of ceremonies, Steve Adams, who escorts the competitors onto the court, that royalty is watching.

Obviously, the Princess was livid and sent a message down to Adams asking him not to repeat his folly. Adams saved his job and his All England Club membership by ensuring that the players observed tradition on their way back to the locker room.

BITCHING BATTLE: Jana Novotna and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, great friends-turned-bitter-enemies, engaged themselves in a verbal war, soon after their quarter-final matches. The pair meets each other in the semi-final.

Novotna claims that her rival had enjoyed an easy path into the semi-final. The Spaniard hit back saying that Novotna was jealous and added: ``She doesn't have respect for anyone. But until she's won a Grand Slam title she shouldn't say anything.'' They had won the doubles title here in 1995 but fell out at last year's Atlanta Games.

PIN IT UP: The secret of Greg Rusedski's success, according to some tabloids, it seems are needles or rather acupuncture. The Britain's No. 2 player is wearing a metal band which looks like a large watch. But beneath the straps are tiny pressure points that are scientifically designed to send messages to the brain that the wrist injury which troubled him earlier this year is now cured.

Meanwhile, his girlfriend Lucy Connor was not present for the crucial quarter-final against Cedric Pioline because the 21-year-old drama student is busy rehearsing a play and cannot rearrange her studies. The sensational success of the two Britons have sent black market ticket prices soaring.

Touts are quoting œ 2,500 for a pair of semi-final seats if they play each other.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.