Wimbledon Queen will take home £700,000

Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams — the favourites for this year's crown — could step out for the first million pound Wimbledon women's final after the All England Club dipped into their pockets and lived up to their promise of equal prize money.

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Rather than take from the men to pay the women, the Wimbledon organisers are funding increases all round to make this year's Championships the most lucrative in world tennis. The women's prize is £75,000 more than Amelie Mauresmo earned for her triumph last July. The splashing of the extra cash around the open air Centre Court in both men's and women's draws is heavily weighted towards those players who make it to the semi-finals and beyond.

All England Club chairman Tim Phillips said: "The cost of the equalisation of prize money is a one-off £625,000 that is being swallowed by the Club.

"Our argument for the larger increases from the semi-final stage is that tennis is arguably the most competitive individual sport and the people who get to the top of the greasy pole are outstanding athletes who have to make an extra- ordinary commitment.

"They also drive the gates and the marketability of the event, so we feel that is the fair thing to do."

The club also revealed that the new folding roof which will be fitted with lights and cover Centre Court in time for the 2009 Championships will open up the intriguing possibility of night play.

Matches that are currently called off court because of fading light around 9pm will be able to be concluded on the day they begin, adding a new twist to the traditional late evening drama.

Hawk-eye will be used for the first time at this year's Wimbledon, on Centre Court and No 1 Court.

The technology, already in place at the U.S. and Australian Opens, will rely on cameras mounted around the courts that will capture 3D images of disputed line calls. Large screens will be erected to show spectators exactly where the ball has landed.