As a visit to the famous Wimbledon Museum confirms, tennis in the 19th century became - like cycling, another Victorian craze - a "liberating sport for women to play alongside men".

So it begs the familiar question of why it has taken until 2007 for female players to be offered equal prize money at both Wimbledon and the French Open.

This year, finally, the winners of the men's singles and ladies singles will receive the equivalent of £700,000 apiece with the runners-up pocketing £350,000, semi-finalists £175,000 and quarter-finalists £88,550 - with scaled-down rewards round by round.

Britain's Katie O'Brien won £16,325, the same as Tim Henman, of course, for reaching the second round for the first time, her biggest-ever pay packet.

And reigning women's title holder Amelie Mauresmo confirmed she was one of the strongest supporters of the equal-pay argument.

She said: "It was a point of principle we just had to win. We have been fighting hard for it but now the fight is over and it is a relief because no sensible person really wants to fight.

"Everyone would rather concentrate on their tennis and have fun but you have to do something against injustice."

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It takes all tastes at Wimbledon, whether it be strawberries and cream or a jug of Pimms.

However, herbal tea and "funki" steamed corn are probably not what you would expect to be offered as you stroll down towards the All England Club.

There were, though, plenty of takers for the free Pink Lady apples being handed out by chiselled models in tight pink T-shirts. Very tasty!

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Security is certainly tight at SW19 again this year - just ask Marat Safin.

The Russian former world number one was less than impressed at having to undergo checks "300 times a day" - and one of our more portly reporters knew just how he felt when arriving at the ground yesterday morning.

Accosted by a rather large security man after waltzing through the Wimbledon gates, a "random body search" was undertaken.

Of course, our man was only too happy to co-operate, with the only potentially dangerous item in his pockets a breakfast bar - dangerous to his ever-expanding waistline that is.

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Andy Roddick and James Blake are here to serve... in the cause of reviving American tennis.

The pair, now the only two United States stars figuring the world's top 10, will never be allowed to forget the day in Paris last month when all the American men's hopes were expunged at Roland Garros.

And they are desperate to make sure there is no repeat at Wimbledon, where both are through to the third round.

Seeded three to match his world ranking, Roddick at just 24 looks the best bet to become the first American winner since Pete Sampras racked up the last of his seven triumphs.

He was, of course, also the runner-up to Roger Federer in 2004 and 2005 while the best effort by Blake, 27, was his third-round appearance last year when he was beaten by Max Mirnyi.

But New Yorker Blake is sure all that is going to change soon and insisted: "I think tennis in America is doing great. It was one of those coincidences when we had everything go wrong in Paris.

"I think we've got a long way to go to appease the public's idea of what it takes to have a good American tennis scene right now but I also think it is pretty darn good with two players in the top 10 plus the Bryans [Bob and Mike] as top seeds in the doubles.

"It is pretty tough unless you are from Switzerland to say you have a star guaranteed to be there every second week - but having two guys who have a chance to get there shows we are in pretty good shape."

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Australian Wayne Arthurs, 36, is scheduled to retire after Wimbledon but first faces Jonas Bjorkman in the third round, the veteran pair having a combined age of 71.

And Arthurs apparently still remembers being hit in a delicate area by Bjorkman in a Davis Cup tie between Australia and Sweden a few years ago.

"It was a normal forehand volley, so he didn't have time to react and got it an uncomfortable place," joked Bjorkman, 35.

"Hopefully he's not going to hit me there. I think we both need to keep those alive for a little bit more."