For a few pounds more

WIMBELDON, JUNE 24: Jelena Dokic, the latest sensation at Wimbledon, celebrated the biggest-ever upset of her career, by eating bread and...

WIMBELDON, JUNE 24: Jelena Dokic, the latest sensation at Wimbledon, celebrated the biggest-ever upset of her career, by eating bread and cheese in a 59-pound-a-night hotel. The dump of a place in Putney is one of the most basic hotels in the city and is apparently frequented mostly by small-time salesmen and shoe-string budget travellers.

With a career earnings of just over 30,000, the 16-year-old8217;s family could not afford anything more than that. Unable to afford prices in restaurants, Jelena8217;s parents go to the nearby supermarket to fetch dinner for her celebrity daughter and son Savo, who is apparently, the youngest karate black belt in Australia.

With no gym or practice facilities at the hotel, Jelena goes to a park nearby for her daily jogging and exercises.

THAT was in direct contrast to the 4500-pounds-a-week mansion rented out by Martina Hingis at the Wimbledon village. After she was knocked out in the first round, Hingis vacated the mansion in a huff but was forced to pay rent for the entire fortnight, which she had booked it for, absolutely confident of entering the final.

The 9000 pound damage will be nothing compared to the dent that has been made in her credibility. After pulling out of the doubles and mixed doubles as well, Hingis returned home to her mother.

Not to be left behind, the glamour girl Anna Kournikova is also staying in a rented house at the Village. The three-story, semi-detached house with a private garden is costing the Russian 4500 pounds per week.

Property agents who rent out such mansions to celebrity players say most of them have special requests like exercise bikes and gyms and want them to be really comfortable. A couple of houses away from Kournikova8217;s is Boris Becker8217;s mansion and always make it a point to visit a restaurant every night while he is at the Village.

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TODAY8217;S second round clash between two Germans, Boris Becker and the young Nicolas Kiefer would be much more than just match between a veteran and an upcoming player. They are bitter rivals and are not even on talking terms. It also gives a rather different side to the famed Becker persona 8212; that he doesn8217;t entertain any dissenting voices.

Kiefer8217;s problems with Becker began after he pulled out of the German youth squad endorsed by Becker8217;s sponsors Mercedes. Becker has not forgiven him since. But Kiefer in a bid to build bridges with the great man even said a polite hello in the locker room the other day, but the greeting was just ignored.

Becker is manager of the Davis Cup team in which Kiefer is a key member and they have been getting on without exchanging a word. Kiefer sure would want to win this one, just to beard the Old Lion8217; in his own den, which in this case happens to be the Centre Court.

One thing is sure, the fans will be going with Becker because the young Kiefer will have a lot of winning to do before he can be accepted by the centre court crowd.