LONDON, April 26: Prize money at the Wimbledon tennis championships will exceed 10 million pounds ($19.15 million) for the first time in 2005, organisers said on Tuesday.

But women will continue to be paid less than their male counterparts at the grasscourt grand slam.

Total prize money was increased by 3.9 per cent up to a pool of 10,085,510 pounds.

The men’s singles champion will earn 630,000 pounds while the champion woman will get 600,000 pounds. The women are closing the gap, however. Their prize money for the singles was improved by 5.9 per cent while the men’s singles money rose by 4.6 per cent.—Reuters