Blunder umpire dropped

Ted Watts, the Wimbledon umpire who made a huge gaffe during a match involving former champion Venus Williams yesterday, has been axed from the rest of the Championships.

The under-fire umpire had a meeting with Championships referee Alan Mills this morning and will not officiate for the rest of the tournament.

Mills said: "I have now discussed the incident with the Chair Umpire concerned and we have agreed it will be in the best interests of both parties if he takes no further part in the event."

Watts made the amazing error in the second-set tiebreak of the match when Croat teenager Karolina Sprem caused a huge upset by beating Williams 7-6 7-6 in the second round.

At 1-2 in the tie-break, the umpire mistakenly awarded a point to Sprem when she should have been given just a second serve after a fault.

Watts must not have heard his service linesman's call and announced the score at 2-2.

When neither player complained, the match carried on despite the fact Sprem continued to serve from the same side, as though she was hitting a second serve.

The incident did not change the course of the match but it was was highlighted on TV last night and is an embarrassment to Wimbledon since it gave the impression that Watts was not completely in control in the chair. Mills admitted straight away a mistake had been made but he was surprised by the incident.

Williams remained sanguine after her defeat and the result will stand.