SPORTS DIGEST:TennisWimbledon stars have been handed a 9.5 per cent pay rise for playing in the singles at this year's championships - and they will no longer have to bow or curtsy to the Royal Box on their way to collecting it.
The only exceptions will be if the Queen or the Prince of Wales attend, and the change in protocol comes at the suggestion of the Duke of Kent, the All England Club's president.
All England chairman Tim Phillips explained. "It's his preference that we stop doing it.
"The players don't have any problem with it but the Duke of Kent feels the time is right to stop this and we respect his view on that."
This year's men's champion will walk away with £575,000 (€832,000), an increase of £50,000 on last year, with the women's winner collecting £535,000, up from £486,000.
But doubles prize money has been frozen and Wimbledon have again declined to give the women equal pay.
Despite the abolition of bowing and curtsying, Wimbledon has no intention of breaking with another tradition and allowing on-court advertising to generate money.
But there could be one major change in the future with the chairman admitting that Wimbledon would probably combat the rain by putting a roof on Centre Court if an eco-friendly solution which would not adversely affect the grass court could be found.
ATHLETICS: Mark Carroll has ruled himself out of the World Championships in Paris next August after discovering that a hip injury, which forced him out of the Boston Marathon earlier this month, is more serious than first suspected, reports Ian O'Riordan.
With the injury showing no improvement, Carroll underwent a second MRI scan on returning home to Ireland, and that revealed actual bone damage that will require a longer period of rest. The Cork athlete will now build again towards another marathon in the autumn, before returning to the track for next year's Athens Olympics.
Elsewhere, Gillian O'Sullivan leads a three-strong Irish team to Italy for tomorrow's IAAF Grand Prix of Race Walking, the third in the series in which O'Sullivan has already taken a victory in Mexico. Joining her in the women's event is Olive Loughnane, while Robert Heffernan will compete in the men's race.
CRICKET: Ed Joyce, arguably Irish cricket's brightest shining star, whose England Test debut looks - literally - a mere matter of time, was back in Dublin yesterday to help launch this season's Irish Senior Cup campaign, once again sponsored by Royal Liver Assurance, reports Karl Johnston.
As had been announced back on October 29th last, the preliminary round will be played this Saturday, with Fox Lodge, Belfast Harlequins and Cliftonville all at home to Downpatrick, Glendermott and Strabane, respectively, while the final is scheduled for Friday, August 22nd.
The prizemoney remains at the customary modest level associated with Irish cricket sponsorship. Derek Brennan, chairman of the Irish Cricket Union, welcomed Royal liver's continuing support for the domestic game, while adding that everyone hopes Joyce's prowess in England will boost the profile of the Irish game.
