be played on Sunday instead of being postponed to Monday.

During Saturday's heavy rain, several plastic tarpaulins were placed over centre court at Coral Beach and Tennis Club to keep it dry for the next day's play.

But when the coverings were removed on Sunday morning tournament officials were aghast at what they found.

The court was a sea of mud with one official comparing it to "cream of wheat.'' More galling was the fact that the surrounding courts, which had been left uncovered, were fine.

Since the finals had to be played on centre court because of television coverage by Prime Network, officials had to do something.

Enter Mr. Michael Loo of the Association of Tennis Professionals, who mobilised a small team of volunteers armed with bath towels. They covered the sodden parts of the court with the towels and then stomped on them until the excess water and mud was soaked up.

The resulting scene looked like something out of an exercise video, but it didn't take long before the court was playable again and the finals got off with only a slight delay.

Mr. Loo said he got the idea from seeing the same thing done at this year's US Open at Flushing Meadows in New York after similar circumstances.

*** IT would probably be wise not to comment on this statement, which enlivened the recently-released Department of Agriculture report for 1992.

"The Artificial Insemination programme was utilised by all of the dairies at some time during the year.

"One dairyman however, provided his own supply of semen.'' *** RULES are made to be broken especially, it would seem, in the House of Assembly.

The point was underlined last Friday. Deputy Opposition Leader Mr. Walter Roberts rose on a point of order during a much-heckled speech by colleague Mr.

Alex Scott.

Mr. Roberts cited 24(d) of the Rules of the House of Assembly of Bermuda: "When a Member is speaking, all other Members shall be silent or shall confer only in undertones, and shall not make unseemly interruptions,'' he deadpanned.

Speaker the Hon. Ernest DeCouto confirmed the rule was in effect, but Mr.

Roberts' point was greeted with loud laughter all around.

For decades, Speakers have accepted that a certain laxity is required in enforcing House rules. Others that are frequently ignored include: 24(c) While not speaking Members shall not read newspapers, books, letters or other documents, except such matters therein as may be directly connected with the business under debate.

21(3) Except for the statement in support of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure, the Statement in reply thereto and any statement under Rule 8(1)(k), a Member shall not read his speech, ...

21(4) A Member shall confine his observations to the subject under discussion, and may not introduce matter irrelevant thereto.

*** BACK to the XL Tennis Classic.

Every publication makes mistakes from time to time, but there were some screamers in the tournament's programme.

Aaron Krickstein, who made a first round exit from the tournament, is a surprisingly big man in person, about 6 foot, two inches. This is slightly exaggerated in the programme, where he is listed on one page as 6'8'', a more suitable height for a basketball player.

But to add insult to injury, he was listed in a player profile in the same programme as 5'8''! On the other hand, the programme did get his age right, which is more than can be said for Swede Mikael Pernfors, who went on to win the tournament on Sunday.

His profile in the programme gave his birth date as November, 1963, making him 30 years old. But the profile then told how he burst onto the tennis scene in 1976 at the French Open -- when he was apparently 13.

That could be believable as top tennis players get younger and younger. But it is impossible if you believe his age given on the list of players -- 20. That would make Pernfors three years old when he made his debut in Roland Garros Stadium!