Wimbledon Betting / Editor / 24 April 2007 /

The total prize money for this year's Wimbledon tournament has been announced with more than eleven million pounds on offer at SW19.

The male and female singles champion will each pick up £700,000 - the first time in the prestigious tournament's history that both sexes will receive equal pay for their efforts.

Total prize money will be £11,282,710 - 8.7% up on 2006, making it the richest tournament in the history of the sport.

"No tennis tournament has ever offered higher prize money than Wimbledon in 2007," said Tim Phillips, chairman of organisers at the All England Club.

The move to prize money equality is one of a number of changes to the tournament as Hawk-eye technology looks set to be used on Centre Court and Court One for the first time and the Cyclops machine will be used on all other courts.

Spectators watching the action on Centre Court will be exposed to the elements, as ongoing building work on a retractable roof means the existing cover has been removed.

Roger Federer will be gunning for his fifth consecutive title in south west London but watch out for the likes of home favourite Andy Murray and US star Andy Roddick when the many markets open up as the tournament nears.

If Federer's clay court nemesis Rafael Nadal can reproduce his 2006 grass court form, when he finished runner-up to the world number one at Wimbledon, then he may offer the Swiss ace a creditable challenge to his dominance on grass.

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