The US Tennis Association (USTA) will increase the number of female and minority chair umpires at its tournaments in an agreement with the New York attorney general's office announced on Thursday.
"Qualified female and minority umpires should be afforded equal opportunities to work at professional sporting events," Attorney General Eliot Spitzer said.
"This agreement will help ensure that this happens at USTA tournaments, and will provide a positive example throughout the sports world."
The attorney general's office began a probe of the USTA last year after receiving complaints about discrimination from current and former umpires, and a review of umpiring assignments in recent years found gender disparities.
From 2003 to 2005, female umpires chaired about half of the main draw women's matches but only a small fraction of the main draw men's matches at the US Open.
No female umpire was assigned to chair a later round men's match, while male umpires chaired some 20 later-round women's matches.
The investigation also showed that very few minority umpires had been selected to chair matches at the US Open, especially the more prominent later-round matches.
The agreement requires the USTA to assign female chair umpires to men's matches at the US Open and other tournaments in numbers approximating their representation in the pool of qualified applicants.
It also requires that all officials enjoy an equal opportunity to chair matches, receive training, and attain advanced certification, and that the USTA implement a national programme to increase the number of female and minority umpires.
Spitzer commended the USTA for trying to resolve the matter and said improvement was already seen at the 2006 US Open.
Carlos Bernardes Jr chaired the men's final between Roger Federer and Andy Roddick, marking the first time a black umpire chaired the finals since the 1970s.
Women chaired more than twice the number of men's matches this year as compared to last year's tournament, including the men's semi-final match between Federer and Nikolay Davydenko.
- REUTERS
Tennis: More female and minority umpires on way
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