Catfight, anyone?

From the world of the Sunday Times (London), we have an entry for the time-well-spent category of articles: "The top 10 sporting catfights". Making the list:

3 Anna Kournikova and Martina Hingis In 2000 the long-suffering folk of Santiago, Chile, finally had something to cheer their troubled souls when those tennis ambassadresses, Kournikova and Hingis, agreed to take part in an exhibition match (albeit for half the nation’s gross domestic product, but that’s a side issue). The friendly facade lasted until Hingis disputed a line call and Kournikova refused to yield. As they crossed over, Hingis sneered: “You think you are the tennis queen, but I am!” Kournikova simply reminded her who was the more marketable, and that’s where sporting instinct stopped. Later in the dressing room there was screaming and hair-pulling, which resulted in Kournikova being sacked from their doubles partnership for several years.

Hey, maybe I shouldn't have been so sarcastic before. This is getting good. More:

4 Anastasia Myskina and Maria Sharapova A late replacement in the 2004 Federation Cup, Anastasia Myskina played a blinder to defeat France. Then Shamil Tarpischev, Russia’s tennis overlord, had the bright idea of inviting Maria Sharapova — and therefore her scary father, Yuri — into the 2005 fold. The team rebelled and Myskina threatened to walk out before coach Larisa Neiland intervened. “Maria’s main problem is her father. I just don’t see how he would co-exist with other girls’ parents and team officials. He basically tells everyone to get lost.” said Neiland. Needless to say, such nonsense wouldn’t have happened in Stalin’s day.

Boooring. Where's the hair-pulling? We all know Yuri sucks, and he doesn't have any hair to pull. Myskina seems to much prefer hanging onto horse hair while she rides nude. Next!

8 Venus Williams and Irina Spirlea In 1997, on her way to becoming the US Open’s first unseeded finalist, Venus Williams met unfancied Romanian Irina Spirlea in the semis. Spirlea bumped into Williams during a changeover. The Williams camp claimed that she said something racist. Venus looked suitably misty-eyed before going on to win. Later, her in-no-way-overprotective father Richard merely retorted that Spirlea was “a big, ugly, tall, white turkey”. Which was nice.

Ah, Richard. The Yuri of the 90's.

I was tempted to post links to the myskina horse pics, but when I searched Google Images for them (search term: Myskina), I found frightening photos of her topless along with the horse pics. You are capable of searching- seek the pain yourself if you must. But you have been warned.