John McEnroe won in straight sets at
Buckingham Palace in his charity rematch with
Bjorn Borg to take the match and win the Duke
of York's NSPCC Challenge.
The American took the first set 6-3 against old
rival Bjorn Borg in a gripping encounter
between two Wimbledon legends and went on
to win the second 7-6 on a tie-break.
Watched by a star-studded crowd including
Nick Faldo, Claudia Schiffer, Elizabeth Hurley
and Damon Hill, the former champion showed
some of the old magic and broke Borg's serve
early on in the first set.
However, Borg fought back, breaking his
opponents serve in the fifth game of the
second set but McEnroe was quick to respond
and broke back immediately before rain
stopped play with Borg leading the second set
at 4-3.
However, McEnroe turned on the style to kill
the game off and Borg admiited afterwards
that it had been a tough game, especially in
the second set.
"It is an honour for us to play here," he said.
"It is a good cause and hopefully we will be
invited back."
McEnroe added: "This is a beautiful spot and,
like Bjorn said, we just want to be invited back
to have a little tea and scones."
Battle
The pair's battles in 1980 and 1981 produced
some of Wimbledon's highest drama as the
contrasting styles of the ice-cool Swede and
the fiery US "superbrat" sparked epic tennis.
For the last few years
the pair have
continued their duels
on the world seniors
tour, but the charity
contest at the palace
has taken on special
significance because
Borg, 44, is retiring
from the seniors at the
end of the season.
It is the first time the
Queen has given
permission for the
outdoor all-weather court - created in 1919 -
to be used for such an event, and the pair's
match will be watched by 700 guests.
The event, hosted by the Duke of York, will
raise money for the National Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC)
Russian tennis starlet Anna Kournikova, 1998
Wimbledon ladies champion Jana Novotna and
the two entertainers of the senior tour Henri
Leconte and Mansour Bahrami from France will
also play a mixed doubles match.
But all eyes are certain
to be on the main draw
between Borg and
McEnroe. Whilst the
two have played at
some of the world's
most prestigious
venues, the royal
stage will present an
entirely new prospect.
Borg said: "John and I
have played at all the
major tennis venues
throughout the world, but never at anywhere
as special as Buckingham Palace."
And whilst the spectators will be fewer in
number than for their previous meetings,
McEnroe's competitiveness will be just as
strong.
He was beaten at the All England Club when
Borg won his fifth consecutive singles titles in
1980. But the American avenged his defeat the
following year to end Borg's reign of SW19.
With McEnroe now
heading the world
senior tour rankings, it
looks like the odds
could be stacked
against the Swedish
player once again.
The players were asked
to take part by Johan
Eliasch, event chairman
and chairman of the
Head sporting goods
group.
He said the match-up would be a unique tennis
event as well as raising awareness and money
for the campaign.
"The players are very excited about it,
especially as this is Bjorn's last active year on
the senior tour and this might be his last really
big match.
"All the players involved said 'Yes' straight
away when they were asked to take part."
~*~
Duke's 'reluctant' school decision(BBC News)
The Duke of York has described his "reluctant"
decision not to send his daughter Princess
Beatrice to an exclusive Swiss school following
a sex scandal.
He called the decision not to send 11-year-old
Beatrice to Aiglon College "a temporary change
of plan", in a rare interview on BBC 1's
Breakfast with Frost.
Beatrice was "very
happy" to be attending
St George's School in
Ascot, Berks, in
September instead, he
said.
Aiglon's former
headmaster Richard
McDonald was arrested
earlier this year over
child sex allegations,
which emerged during
his divorce from his
wife Michelle.
In January, three girls were the victims of a
sex attacker in a dormitory at the school.
Beatrice's 10-year-old sister Princess Eugenie
was also due to attend the school, in the
Alpine village of Villars, in September 2001.
"Sarah and I want to send our children to an
established and safe school, in the sense that
we want them to have an environment in
which they can flourish," said the Duke.
"Until the situation is resolved, and I have no
doubt it will be, we have had to make this
reluctant decision."
The Duke added that he and the Duchess were
in agreement over the issue, saying: "There is
no divide on this one."
He also praised the media for not invading the
privacy of his daughters.
He said: "They have
been great. I have no
complaints at all."
And he paid tribute to
his grandmother the
Queen Mother as she
approaches her 100th
birthday.
Attributing her
longevity down to good
genes, he added:
"She's a remarkable
lady."
Royal favour
The Royal Family is more popular with British
people than at any time over the past decade,
according to a poll published on Sunday, with
75% believing Buckingham Palace should
remain the family's official residence.
Reacting to the findings, the Duke of York
said: "That's very kind of them. It's extremely
good news."
Mo Mowlam, who suggested that the Royals
should move out of Buckingham Palace, did not
fare so well.
Only 49% are satisfied with the way she does
her job as Minister for the Cabinet Office
compared to 60% before she voiced her views,
in the MORI poll of 1,004 adults commissioned
by the Mail on Sunday.
~*~
500 pay court for royal birthdays(Electronic Telegraph)
By Sandra Laville
IT was almost light when the last reluctant guests, their costumes and wigs
slightly bedraggled, left the £100,000 themed birthday party thrown by Prince
and Princess Michael of Kent for their son and daughter.
More than 500 partygoers dressed as aristocrats from the pre-Revolution
court of Louis XVI for Lord Frederick Windsor's 21st birthday and his sister,
Lady Gabriella's 19th.
Among them were Jonathan Aitken's children Alexandra, Victoria and
William, Lord Astor, Lady Annabel Goldsmith and her daughter Jemima
Khan, the author Frederick Forsyth and Conrad Black, chairman of the
Telegraph Group.
Parasols and potted palms were set on the terrace and a high fence was
erected around Kensington Palace gardens to ensure that the party in the
Orangerie remained a private affair.
The event had the theme of court and courtiers and was based on the fête
champêtre - or sophisticated picnic - traditionally thrown by the King of
France. Guests were treated to baroque music and a disco. Mock duels were
fought and jugglers, fencers and fire eaters provided the entertainment.
Food was distributed on carts pulled by miniature ponies and the champagne
was served in gold-plated goblets. Prince William and Prince Harry did not
attend the event, which clashed with the birthday of their late mother, who
would have been 39 on Saturday.
~*~
Dublin stalls on Queen's visit(Uk Times)
BY AUDREY MAGEE AND ALAN HAMILTON
A HOPED-FOR visit by the Queen to the Irish Republic
is being blocked by Dublin's reluctance to issue an
invitation.
The Foreign Office in London and the British Embassy in
Dublin believe that the time is right for the Queen to visit
the Irish Republic in the first half of next year, given the
improved security situation and enhanced relationship
between Britain and Ireland.
British ministers will ultimately decide whether the Queen
should travel to Ireland, becoming the first British
sovereign to visit Dublin since King George V made his
accession tour there in 1911, when Irish people were his
subjects.
The Dublin Government must ask the Queen to visit,
issuing an invitation through the President, Mary
McAleese. A government spokesman said that a visit by
the Queen "was not high up in Ireland's thought
processes" and there were no immediate plans to invite
her to Dublin.
Mrs McAleese and her predecessor, Mary Robinson,
informally aired the prospect of a royal visit to Ireland
during their respective visits to Buckingham Palace in
1999 and 1993. The constitutional heads of state of both
nations know that, however congenial personal relations
are over Palace tea, they are not in a position to invite or
accept without the say-so of their governments.
An Irish government spokesman insisted that Dublin was
perfectly able to organise the visit at short notice. He said:
"We are well up to visitors. We have had 30 years'
membership of the EU and we are well used to hosting
heads of state. Finally, the Taoiseach and (British) Prime
Minister will decide when the invitation should be issued."
Buckingham Palace confirmed last night that no invitation,
formal or informal, had yet been received, making it
impossible to work out the Queen's itinerary, which is
usually planned at least six months in advance.
A Palace source said that, if a Dublin visit was proposed,
the Queen would find little difficulty in making a three-day
gap in her diary.
Embassy officials believe that several things make a visit
possible. They are the restoration of the Executive in
Northern Ireland, the IRA opening its arms caches to
government-appointed inspectors and last week's visit of
the Irish Guards, the first British Army regiment to visit
Ireland since independence in 1921.