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SPORTS Tuesday 1 augusT 2023

Washington tennis tournament offers equal status for women

By HOWARD FENDRICH top goals was to secure a
AP Tennis Writer women's event at an equal
WASHINGTON (AP) — A level as our men's," Ein said.
poster hanging at the DC "One of the things I love
Open site shows Frances about tennis is it's really the
Tiafoe — a competitor in only sport where athletes of
the field from nearby Mary- both genders compete on
land — flanked by other the same playing surface
men such as Andy Murray at the same time."
and Taylor Fritz and women There are other discrepan-
such as Coco Gauff and cies between the men's
Jessica Pegula. and women's brackets in
It is a simple visualization of Washington. The men's field
a complicated change to is 48 players; the women's
a tournament that began is 28. The rankings points
Monday and has been available are nearly the
around for men since 1969, same, but the men's cham-
added women via a simul- pion gets 500, the women's
taneous but lower-tier and 470. ike Pegula, three-time
less-promoted event in 2009 major champion Murray,
and now is taking a further who is seeded 15th in Wash-
step by touting itself as the ington, said that all players
first combined ATP-WTA 500 "at the same event, on the
event. That is two levels be- Defending champion Liudmila Samsonova of Russia serves against Danielle Collins in a first-round same courts," should be vy-
low Grand Slams and one match at the DC Open tennis tournament in Washington on Monday, July 31, 2023. Samsonova ing for the same payouts.
won 6-1, 6-3.
level below Masters 1000s Associated Press "But I think for it ever to be-
and was accomplished come like truly equal, the
by elevating the women's a check for $353,445; the the same event," said Pegu- as part of a wider plan the WTA and the ATP are actu-
portion through the lease women's champion earns la, an American who is No. WTA recently announced ally going to have to come
of what had been a hard- $120,150. That is not an 3 in the rankings and seed- to get equal paychecks at together and work as one
court tourney in San Jose, anomaly. There are other ed No. 1 in Washington and certain events by that year before that's the case, be-
California, played during stops on the professional a member of the women's and at others by 2033. cause I don't think it's that
the same week. tennis tours that include fe- tour's player council. "The "That will give everyone a straightforward just now
While ostensibly that puts male and male players but fans are coming to watch chance to hopefully get that both tours have differ-
the men and women on do not pay them evenly. both of us, and we should revenues to grow to be ent sponsors, different TV
equal footing in Washing- "Our main goal is to work be making the same." able to afford it," said Mark deals and all of that stuff,
ton — where players both toward equal prize money. All four Grand Slam tour- Ein, who has been the tour- too," Murray said. "There is a
will be trying to win a tro- That is what we want on naments offer equal prize nament chairman since few things that still need to
phy and to prepare for the the WTA side and what we money across the board, 2019 and is part of the change, but I feel like things
U.S. Open, the year's last think is fair. Especially at the something the U.S. Open group that recently bought are going in the right direc-
Grand Slam tournament — combined events, we don't started doing 50 years ago the NFL's Washington Com- tion, like with the move to
it still is not equal all the way want to see a discrepancy and others as recently as manders from Dan Snyder. this event becoming a 500
around. Most notably: The there. We want to see that 2007. That won't happen "When we took over the for both. Can obviously still
men's champion receives we're earning the same at at the DC Open until 2027 tournament, one of my get better."q

Saints coach Dennis Allen: Kamara plans

to meet with Goodell about 2022 fight

By BRETT MARTEL "I think part of it is: 'Let's ra's planned meeting with
AP Sports Writer get some resolution with Goodell or any potential
METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Saints where we're at and move timeline for issuing disci-
coach Dennis Allen ex- forward.' I think Alvin is look- pline.
pressed hope on Monday ing forward to putting this Kamara played throughout
that Alvin Kamara's plan to behind him and focusing the 2022 season while the
meet with NFL commission- in on what he has to do to NFL waited for a resolution
er Roger Goodell would be the best he can for our to his court case, which
help resolve any disciplin- team this season." also involved cornerback
ary action the star running Allen said the Saints have Chris Lammons.
back might face in con- yet to receive an indica- The two players were ac-
nection with his arrest in a tion of if, or when, the NFL cused, along with two oth- New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) goes
February 2022 fight during could decide on whether er defendants, of beating through drills in practice during the Back Together Weekend fan
appreciation initiative at the NFL team's football training camp
Pro Bowl weekend in Las to discipline Kamara, who Darnell Greene Jr., of Hous- in Metairie, La., Saturday, July 29, 2023.
Vegas. "Alvin really wants to has been among New Or- ton, unconscious following Associated Press
get out ahead of this and leans' leaders in yards from an altercation that spilled
have a chance to visit with scrimmage since 2017, out of an elevator and into more than $100,000 toward nies. The plea agreements
Roger and kind of give him when he was selected as a hallway. Greene's medical costs. came in conjunction with
his side of the story," Allen the NFL's Offensive Rookie Kamara and Lammons The deal allowed the play- a settlement of a civil case
said after the Saints' sixth of the Year. pleaded no contest on July ers to avoid trial and possi- Greene filed. Financial
practice of training camp The NFL on Monday de- 11 to misdemeanors and ble prison time after initially terms of that deal remain
at team headquarters. clined comment on Kama- agreed to each pay just being charged with felo- undisclosed. q