We are contemplating adding a polygraph to the essential list of journalistic tools. Anne-Gaelle Sidot faced the inquisition yesterday after the accusation by the mother of black tour player Alexandra Stevenson that the French girl had attacked her on a practice court in Strasbourg in May.

"Did you attack Mrs Stevenson? She says you pulled her hat down," journalists asked. She replied with a shrug, a phew, a magnificent French pout and an expansive flapping gesture of her hand. "Yeah, it's true . . . yeah . . . she had insulted me."

And so the sorry saga rolls on with the tour's smooth exterior being shown more and more to cover a core like a bag of cats being beaten with a stick.

There are now a whole host of flashpoints: Stevenson's accusations of racism; the father of Jelena Dokic being given the yellow card by the All England club; Melanie Molitor, mother of Martina Hingis, and the rest of the moms-cum-coaches being told that they are unwelcome in the locker room; and Sidot's subsequent declaration that Mrs Stevenson "can't have a good conscience". It all adds up to something less than sporting harmony.

The All England club were quick to slap the wrists of Damir Dokic for his drunken foray into the media bar which at one point he looked like trashing. An All England Club spokesman said yesterday that any more unacceptable behaviour could lead to his being banned from the grounds.

Jelena Dokic, who faces Barbra Rittner for a fourth-round place, is naturally the off-court loser as will be Hingis when her mother is left to peer in through the lockerroom window.

Hingis, the number one seed, once again showed her prowess on grass by bounding into the fourth round. She sent Croatian Silvija Talaja tail-spinning out 62 6-2.

"I'm in a great situation here," said Hingis. "I have nothing to defend. I can just get better."

Speaking of the decision to ban mothers from the locker-room, she said: "I definitely don't support it. But right now there is nothing I can do. We'll have to figure out something else."

In an evening match, Serena Williams bombed Spain's Cristina Torrens-Valero out of the competition 6-2 6-1. The rain covers were pulled as Williams prepared to serve when 4-2 up in the first set, and on resumption she completely dominated her less robust opponent.