Finally, it was easier to let the pictures tell the story. After months of denying that they are an item, Greg Norman and Chris Evert appeared together in public and made no attempt to conceal their affection for each other.

The 51-year- old Australian golfer had insisted that he and 52-year- old Miss Evert - the former darling of Wimbledon - were nothing more than 'very, very, close friends'.

They revealed the truth, however, with a high-profile date at the famous Doyles fish restaurant within sight of Sydney Harbour.

The couple were given a prominent outside table close to the water and there wasn't a soul in the premises who didn't know who they were.

As they tucked into prawns and lobster, she gently touched the shoulder of the man known to golf fans as the Great White Shark.

Then they walked through a nearby park hand in hand, happy to be photographed.

"If you want to keep a relationship secret, you don't turn up at Doyles with your lover and sit at a prominent table," said a fellow diner. "There's no doubt that Greg and Chris wanted to make a point."

Norman is going through a divorce from his wife of 25 years, Laura, while Miss Evert was divorced in October, at great financial cost, from her second husband, former champion skier Andy Mill, by whom she has three sons. Her first marriage, to the British tennis star John Lloyd, ended in 1987.

Miss Evert has kept the £2million property in Boca Raton, Florida, which she shared with Mill, while he will own their £ 3million Rocky Mountains holiday home. Divorce for Norman, who is estimated to be worth nearly £150million, will be a far more complex affair.

It is anticipated Laura will be given ownership of the couple's £15million home at Hope Sound in Florida, along with a huge financial settlement.

In the meantime, Norman is reported to be the new owner of a £5million house just around the corner from Miss Evert. Among its attractions are an ornamental lake - and a tennis court.