Players eager to be kept in the dark

LONDON, June 25 (Reuters) The world's top tennis players need to be in the dark at Wimbledon, so Joanna Doniger goes everywhere with her staple gun.

''Their top demand is blackout blinds,'' said Doniger from Tennis London which rents out houses in Wimbledon for up to 5,000 pounds (9,091 dollars) a week to players longing to escape the global grind of hotel life, however luxurious.

''They are so used to staying in hotels with blackout curtains.

In private houses they can't bear the light and it gets light so early. I spend my life with a staple gun fixing up blackout blinds,'' she said.

Also high on their wish list for the tournament that starts tomorrow are king-size beds, power showers and broadband connections.

But at Wimbledon, the players of one of the world's most glamorous sports are rarely tempted by London nightlife.

''They are very dull,'' Doniger said. ''They lead very serious lives. They play tennis, they don't party. Nobody trashes a house.

They are not getting drunk and having raves.

''This is a very pressured job. This is the most important tournament in the world and they get very hyped up.'' Globe-trotting players who live out of a suitcase all year round eagerly embrace the chance to abandon the anonymity of hotel living for a house in Wimbledon village.

But they have to be confident of success unless they want to find themselves seriously out of pocket.

''We rent apartments and houses out for a minimum of two weeks so we do not have people who are going to get knocked out in the first round. It is expensive. They need to know they will last the first week,'' Doniger said.

With over half a million fans descending on Wimbledon, the fortnight is a real cash cow for residents who turn their gardens into car parks and rent out pitches to souvenir sellers.

But the big winners are the houseowners who leave their homes and happily embark on their annual exodus. A nice fat cheque awaits them on return from a profitable two-week holiday.

Doniger said the tennis players proved to be just as exacting as the golfers she has to find houses for during the World Matchplay Championship at Wentworth.

''Whenever you are dealing with professional sportsmen, they are always very demanding,'' said Doniger, staple gun in hand as she goes back to the blinds.

REUTERS PM RAI1424