THE Wimbledon championships end today with the men's singles final - and grumbles from tennis buffs that this year's tournament has not been a classic one.
But aside from the complaints of a few unhappy purists, nothing can dampen Hongkong's growing enthusiasm for the sport.
Maybe it's the link to chic high fashion. Maybe it's the exclusivety. But more likely, because it is the favoured way for the rich and famous to work off the tensions of a day of wheeler-dealing, it is the connections that can be made.
Until recently, there were far more private courts to serve the privileged few than there were for the public.
With around half of Hongkong's 250 courts located in private clubs, next to houses or in residential developments, the game is heavily weighted towards the upper end of society.
And for the seriously powerful, tennis has a peculiar edge over golf - a game now mushrooming to the extent that just about any junior manager is willing to get a second mortgage for a club membership: the exertion needed for tennis means there is littletime for small talk on politics or business.
