The battle of sexes has been won

BODY BASICS/ UMPIRE'S POST

Ever since women's tournament tennis started 129 years ago, the players have always attracted attention for their looks and clothing.

In 1979, Linda Siegel borrowed a halter dress from BettyAnn Stuart. Due to their differences, it didn't quite fit and moved in a way that delighted the male spectators.

In 1985, Anne White played a match at Wimbledon wearing a white bodystocking. At a tournament known to frown upon anything too skimpy, White's attire, which covered her from end to end, managed to spin a controversy.

At the Australian Open a few years ago, Venus Williams wore a top that featured her own innovation "" an "overbra" with a slit. The lower part kept pulling downward.

At one Wimbledon, BettyAnn Stuart's panties had the warning "" "watch it" "" stitched across the back. Barbara Potter showed up at Roland Garros with panties bearing the phrase "smart ass".

Potter exceeded herself later at Wimbledon. Instructed by her doctor to keep a dry shirt on when possible, she found it too much to request frequent bathroom breaks. Instead, she opted for the hassle-free method of changing her top on court. Although the ball girls held up towels to create a changing area, photographers thronged to her matches.

At the US Open a few years ago, Selima Sfar conceded a set point in trying to hold her skirt in place. The zeal to guard her modesty lasted only until the changeover. She walked to her chair and changed skirts "" right there on court.

A player of the 1970s, too embarrassed to wear just her regular underwear at Wimbledon, opted to wear nothing beneath her skirt.

Tatiana Golovin's red knickers at this Wimbledon were unusual, but not exceptional. The real change is that women's tennis is also drawing the crowds for its quality and depth.

This Wimbledon began with five former winners arrayed against a top seed who had twice reached the final. Match-ups worthy of the final took place much earlier, such as Justine Henin against Serena and Sharapova against Venus, though the second did not quite live up to its billing.

Add to that the emergence of exciting, young and pretty talent like Ana Ivanovich, who lost in the French final, Jelena Jankovic, Marion Bartoli and Nicole Vaidisova and you begin to reminisce about men's tennis of a decade ago, when everyone of the top 20 seeds used to be a genuine contender.

Women's tennis is no longer a two-mare race, as it was in the 25 years dominated by Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, and again Graf. That, in appropriate gender, is what men's tennis has become.