Sports News

Sport of course, and if you were thinking that Euro 2000 has been dominating the headlines over the last weeks, well get ready for Wimbledon. With the Czechs not achieving much in the Low Countries, perhaps the tennis players can offer up the little bit of sporting glory that we've been sadly lacking since.. well.. the Hockey World Championships in May.

Don't get you're hopes up, though. Gone are the days of Korda and Novotna, and there isn't one Czech player, male or female, seeded at the All-England Championships. At least Jiri Vanek has a crack at the big time, though, opening his assault with a tricky little one against the reigning champion, Pete Sampras, on centre court Monday. I wouldn't bet your house on an upset there, though.

Bohdan Ulihrach perhaps has the best chance of a good run at the grass court event, and his little-known Belorussian opponent Max Mirnyi should offer little resistance for the hard-hitting Czech in the first round. Jiri Novak will fancy his chances of ousting the Italian Gianluca Pozzi, although Slava Dosedel must be on top of his game if he is going to get past the number 16 seed, Nicolas Lapenti of Ecuador.

I'm afraid it doesn't get much easier for the Czech women, and Kveta Hrdlickova should be yet another willing victim of Venus Williams' experiment named 'Is success at tennis inversely proportional to the length of my skirt'?

It may be a sad fact, but possibly the best chance of pseudo-Czech glory on the grass at Wimbledon lies with that old stager Martina Navratilova. At 43, the 19-time Wimbledon title winner has teamed up in the doubles with the South African player Marian de Swaart. If they were to triumph, then Navratilova would equal the all-time record of 20 Wimbledon titles, currently held by Billie Jean King.

Quickly to football and the English referee Graham Poll - who officiated the Czechs Euro 2000 match against France - has admitted he made a mistake. Yes.. Mr. Poll now concurs with the world and his wife, all of whom saw that Didier Dischamps did, in fact, trip Pavel Nedved outside the box. Karel Poborsky scored from the resulting penalty but the Czechs still went down 2-1 to the World Champions.

So, no damage done, Mr. Poll, but any chance of having a quiet word with a certain Italian official called Collina?

Thought not..

(Click here for our Euro 2000 results and group tables page.)