French tennis player Gilles Simon slams equal pay scheme, says men's tennis is more attractive
French star Gilles Simon, who has been elected on to the ATP Players Council, has reopened the bitter debate over equal prize money by claiming men's tennis is far more attractive.

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Simon, the world No.13, criticised the move towards equality, where all the grand slams pay their champions the same amount despite men playing best-of-five sets and not three.

"We often speak of equal money, but I think it's something that doesn't work in sport," said Simon.

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"Tennis is the only sport today where we have parity even though men's tennis remains more attractive than women's at this time."

Simon has also criticised the move towards more joint-tournaments outside of the four majors - last week, men and women played at the same event in Eastbourne and 's-Hertogenbosch.


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"I am not against mixed tournaments, it's just that I think today men's tennis is really ahead compared to women."

Simon also told French reporters: "When Rome became a joint tournament it was to save the women because I remember a final with 20 spectators".

The French player is in action at Wimbledon on Wednesday when he faces Xavier Malisse in a second-round tie.

Simon's remarks drew a stinging rebuke from compatriot Marion Bartoli, France's top women's player and the 2007 Wimbledon runner-up.

"Over the whole year, we are a long way from winning as much as the men -- only in a few tournaments and grand slams," said Bartoli.

"We are fully-invested as much as them. The physical demands, training, investment on a personal level are the same as theirs," she said.

"The early rounds of men's matches do not attract many people either. Players who really attract spectators in men's tennis, there are only five to six."

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http://www.foxsports.com.au/tennis/french-tennis-player-gilles-simon-slams-equal-pay-scheme-says-mens-tennis-is-more-attractive/story-e6frf4mu-1226410548818

Stosur can't cope with pressure.

This. I still can't believe she has won a grand slam.

Didnt she win the US open

Yea. That's why I said I can't believe she could win one. She is very weak mentally.

my bad, read wrong.

Don't worry about it.

:twisted: Why have they interrupted the Wozniacki match with the Stosur interview.

Yea. That's why I said I can't believe she could win one. She is very weak mentally.

Rus is really hot!

And this has to be why womens tennis is better to watch (besides the attractive ones) is because you can never really pick the final, or semi finals or even quarters.

\:d/ \:d/ \:d/ \:d/ \:d/
There is going to be a Ivanovic match on tonight.

I must say, my favorite tennis player to watch is Ivanovic.

Womens tennis is very inconstistent

Watch? Not so much. More like "tune in, close your eyes and imagine".

Not so much that it's inconsistent as much as the standard of play is lower, making the difference between the players lower and the chance of an upset more likely.