US sixth seed Serena Williams has done what sister Venus couldn't 24 hours earlier and reached the second round of the women's singles at the French Open. And after her battle on court the younger Williams moved in for a battle off it by joining the chorus of calls for equal prize money for men and women in the Grand Slam tournaments. I think if we're pulling in the money, we deserve money, especially if you're bringing in people to network television. The total prize money at this year's Roland Garros for men's events is 4.4 million dollars and for women 4.0 million dollars.
Organisers insist that the gap between the genders in the tournament is closing.
Women's prize money has seen a 6.57 per cent increase on last year compared to 3.90 per cent rise for men. Serena's win was the first hurdle for Williams in her battle for fitness after an ankle injury that has kept her out of action since the Ericsson Open mid-march. I was a bit on and off, a little weary. The first round after not having played for so long is a little tough. It should get better.