Craic On

Wimbledon

The men at Wimbledon complain sometimes that women are getting equal pay for less work. They play the best of 3 sets whereas the men play the best of 5.

The Women’s Lib mantra was not equal pay but equal pay for equal work, say the men.

Now Maria Sharapova is suggesting that instead of women playing the best of 5 sets they should play the best of 3.

That would have cost us some epic matches in the past. We looked at epic matches that we would have lost and matches where the results would have changed if the men played best of 3.

Stan Smith

The first in hte Open era was in 1971 when John Newcombe came back from 2-1 down in sets to beat Stan Smith. Stab Smith would have won a best of 3 and would now be a double champion of Wimbledon.

Roscoe Tanner, who never won Wimbledon would have been champion in 1979 as Bjorn Borg came back from 2-1 down to beat him on his way to 5 Wimbledon titles in a row.

In 1982 Jimmy Connors turned back the clock by beating John McEnroe 3-2 in an epic match. I remember where I was when I watched it.

However, if it would have been best of 3 John McEnroe would have had one more Wimbledon title.

None Since

Surprisingly, despite a few epics since, there has been no other matches where the results would have changed since.

A clever girl, Maria wants equality to men by the men doing less rather than the women doing more.