17 representatives of Russia to play in the oldest tennis tournament of the Grand Slam series, Wimbledon

This year's third tournament of the Grand Slam series, the British Open, is opening in a suburb of London on Monday.

Its prize money stands at 9,373,990 pounds sterling. The winner in men's singles will receive 575,000 pounds sterling, and in women's singles - 535,000 pounds sterling.

As many as 17 representatives of Russia will participate in Wimbledon-2003, with 8 of them listed among the seeded players: Mikhail Yuzhny (No. 16), Yevgeny Kafelnikov (the 20th), Anastasia Myskina (10th), Yelena Dementyeva (15th), Vera Zvonareva (16th), Yelena Bovina (21st), Nadezhda Petrova (29th) and Yelena Likhovtseva (31st). Winners of the Wimbledon tournament of last year and favourites of this year's one Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) and Serena Williams (the USA) have been seeded as Number One.

Marat Safin from Russia, one of the world's best players, stated on the day before that he withdrew from the Wimbledon tournament. Safin, who was seeded 18th, took such a decision because of a hand injury which made him miss Roland Garros, too.