話說今年倫敦馬拉松，找來兩位前世界第一網球手主禮，男的是東道主代表梅利，女的是前一姐，法國的瑪麗絲莫。網球迷應當知道，瑪麗絲莫曾一度是梅利的教練。
也許大家認為網球形象很潮，但其實它骨子裡保守非常。例如男女平等問題，就是爭論焦點之一。時至今日，男女子球手獎金是否該看齊仍然備受爭議（祖高域就是其中一個同酬的反對者）。梅利找個女人當教練，在男子職業網球圈是極罕見的事，為此他也受了不少白眼。
今次介紹的這本，就是一部簡明的網球史，述說了大家未必知道的昔日網球世界，如何發展到今天的模樣。頗長知識，不妨留意。
值得一提，瑪麗絲莫主禮完畢後自己也落場，出戰個人第四馬。賽前，梅利承諾若昔日師傅跑出sub 315賽前目標，就請她吃晚飯。結果，這位39歲的前溫布頓冠軍跑出了3:22:45，未能打破自己3:16紀錄，也未能吃到徒弟一餐。但就如西人所說的，這已算是一個respectable time了。
#沒太多人有興趣系列
#又打咁多字托咩
#為何永遠放不低
【吾運動‧吾閱讀】－ #蝦叔 蝦叔跑步 Uncle Shrimp Running
《愛與熱情的網球史》
作者：伊莉沙伯．威爾森
譯者：鍾玉玨
出版社：木馬文化
「『愛』這個字是網球的核心，深植在網球獨特又出奇的計分系統裡。」
「在二戰前，美國網壇幾乎是黑白隔離的兩個世界。」
「有些人認為，唯有出現一名男子冠軍選手，中國人對網球的興趣才能產生巨大的飛躍。」
新一屆法國網球公開賽稍後開鑼，主辦單位決定，為拉近排名前後段球員的獎金差距，將提高整體球員獎金，比2018年提升8%。
說到獎金，男女球手獎金向來引起頗大爭議，直到現在仍未休止。例如前法網冠軍Ion Tiriac去年才公開表示不認同網球賽事應男女同酬，幾年前塞爾維亞球手祖高域亦有類似言論。事實上，男女同酬並不是由來已久，如溫布頓網球賽也是自2007年起才是男女同酬。
男女平等問題一直是網球發展史上一個爭論不休的議題，不止是獎金，甚至連衣著也成為關注的重點之一。曾幾何時，女生要穿馬甲與鋼線裙撐來打球才算優雅。直到數十年前，女球手的內褲外露，也曾成為新聞頭條。
源起於百多年前的網球，從打發時間的娛樂發展成今天的產業，當中的故事自然是說之不盡。伊莉沙白．威爾森所著的《愛與熱情的網球史》，就將網球歷史娓娓道來，從「有閒階段消遣」、「運動競技」到「大眾娛樂」，將百多年的網球發展史分為三大階段加以闡述。書中蘊藏了許多網球舊聞，當中有不少以現代眼光來看是難以想像的。
原文書名為「Love Game」，明顯作者故意運用「Love」在網球中代表零分的另一層意思，來一語雙關地表達網球與男女之間分割不了的關係。不過也由於此書屬翻譯作品，不少網球手的譯名讀起來會感到陌生。然而此書資料甚豐，縱使需要適應譯名，仍值得大家找來一讀。
筆者簡介：蝦叔，愛寫作，愛運動。期待未來以一雙腳和一枝筆，繼續從體育探索世界。
#新鴻基地產 #新地公益垂直跑 #勇闖香港ICC #網球
【Exercise and Read】－ #Uncle Shrimp @蝦叔跑步 Uncle Shrimp Running
Love Game: A History of Tennis, from Victorian Pastime to Global Phenomenon
Author: Elizabeth Wilson
Translator: Zhong Yujue
Publisher: ecusbook
The overall prize money for the upcoming French Open will be 8% higher than in 2018 in order to reduce the disparity among players in different rankings.
Prize money for male and female players has become a major point of debate. Last year, former French champion Ion Tiriac publicly opposed equal pay for male and female players. Serbian player Novak Djokovic also spoke of similar stance a few years ago. As a matter of fact, equal pay for male and female players is not in place for long, even only started at Wimbledon in 2007.
Apart from prize money, clothing has emerged as another gender equality dispute within the tennis world. Once upon a time, a corset and a crinoline dress were considered appropriate female attire for tennis. A few decades ago, female tennis players who exposed their panties while playing would make news headlines.
For more than a hundred years, tennis has transformed itself from a pastime into a business, providing countless stories for Elizabeth Wilson to record in her book Love Game. This book includes lots of old stories about tennis which might seem unimaginable to people nowadays.
The word 'love' in the book's title means zero points in tennis scoring parlance, but also tactically by meaning implying the strong bond between tennis and gender relations. Its rich and fascinating content is totally worth reading.
About the writer: Uncle Shrimp loves reading, writing and athletics, and hopes he can continue exploring the world through sports.
