June 25, 2008	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 20, 1429

LONDON, June 24: Former Wimbledon semi-finalist Marcos Baghdatis gave All England Club moves to battle the threat of corruption in tennis a lukewarm reception on Monday.

Officials at the season’s third Grand Slam are implementing measures recommended by two former Metropolitan Police officers in a recent report into betting irregularities.

One of those 15 steps is to forbid anyone other than players and their coaches to enter the locker room at tournaments.

“It’s a good thing and a bad thing. The good thing is we don’t have so many people in the dressing room. The bad thing is that maybe some players need two people in the changing room, and that’s important for those players,” said Cypriot Baghdatis, the 10th seed at this year’s tournament.

“Even for me it would be good if I have my physio and my physical trainer in the changing room.

“But that’s the way it is; we have to accept it. I hope maybe the organisation here tries to make a bigger locker room so everybody is happy.”

Ian Ritchie, Chief Executive of the All England Club, insisted earlier on Monday that the two-week grasscourt event would not be marred by the disclosure that 45 matches worldwide are being looked into for betting irregularities.—AFP