Tennis referee calls for 'grunt' rule
AAP
June 19, 2005

LONDON: A Wimbledon referee says grunting noises made by female tennis players as they strike the ball are getting out of hand.

And he says rules should be changed to crack down on the practice.

Alan Mills, Wimbledon's chief official for 22 years who retires after his last tournament, starting tomorrow, says he believes coaches are teaching young women players to grunt.

And he's told The Sunday Times newspaper officials can only act if the player is shown to be making the noise on purpose, which is virtually impossible.

One of the loudest of the modern grunters is defending women's champion Maria Sharapova, who -- according to the paper -- makes a 100-decibel grunt, roughly the same volume as small aircraft landing nearby.