Tennis: The fame, facts and figures of the women's game

* Women's tennis is big business. A record $US51.7 million ($124.7 million) in prizemoney will be available at 67 tournaments next year - more than double the amount at stake 10 years ago. When tennis went "open" in 1971, the Virginia Slims women's tour had just $US309,100 in prizemoney.

* This week's Classic, in its third year under the Sanex WTA banner (the seventh sponsor for women's tennis), has drawn the best field yet to Stanley St. As a tier four tournament, Auckland Tennis offers prizemoney of $US140,000 - $US30,000 more than will be at stake at tier five tournaments in Hobart and Canberra the following week.

* Fourth seed for the Auckland tournament, Spaniard Conchita Martinez, is in eighth place on the women's all-time top earners list - just short of $US10 million.

* The end-of-year WTA lists make some other interesting observations.

Venus Williams had the only recorded serve of more than 200km/h - 201km/h at Wimbledon. Her sister Serena was second equal with world No 20 Iroda Tulaganova at 191km/h.

* Since rankings were introduced, the No 1 spot has changed 46 times. Steffi Graf, No 1 for 186 weeks from August 1987-March 1991, holds the record for the longest consecutive reign.

* Since 1990 only Graf, Monica Seles, Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport and Jennifer Capriati have been ranked No 1. Graf was top-ranked for a total of 377 weeks.

* Capriati, at 14 years seven months (in 1990) remains the youngest player to have been ranked in the top 10. Anna Kournikova comes in at No 7 on that list at 17 years two weeks (in 1998).

* Martinez jumped from 116 in the world in 1988 to the top 10 a year later - the biggest leap by a ranked player in 12 months on tour.

* At 16 years 1 month 10 days, Hingis was the youngest player to earn $US1 million - beating Capriati by a couple of months.

* Graf, at 10 years, holds the record for players consecutively earning $US1 million or more. Martinez, with four (1993-96) comes in sixth. She added a fifth last year.

* American Meilen Tu, who won her first WTA title in Auckland a year ago, finished the year ranked 45th and in 58th place on the prizemoney list with $US180,095.

* The 67 tournaments next year will be played in 33 countries, Thirteen will be in the United States and five each in Australia and Germany.

* The United States, with 17 players ranked in the world's top 100, remain the potent force in women's tennis. The nearest challenger is Spain with 12.

* New Zealand have Pavlina Nola at 134, Shelley Stephens (281), Ilke Gers (384), Leanne Baker (395) and Tracey O'Connor (443) in the top 500.

* Almost 30 countries, including Portugal, Poland, India, Mexico and Algeria, which are eligible to play Fed Cup do not have a player ranked in the world's top 200. Sixty countries have a player with a current ranking.

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