Costly 5 minutes for Boris.

[Donny]

Boris reveals brief encounter
From correspondents in London
November 5, 2003

FORMER tennis star Boris Becker has told for the first time how he fathered an illegitimate child in a five-minute sex session in the broom cupboard of a London restaurant.

Becker's brief encounter in 1999 with Angela Ermakowa, whom he had never met before, led to the break-up of his marriage to wife Barbara.

It also cost him about $48 million in a divorce settlement and support for daughter Anna, 3.

In his autobiography, Stay a Moment Longer, serialised in German newspaper Bild, Becker, 35, reveals the evening was in June, 1999, after he lost in the fourth round at Wimbledon and decided to retire from the sport.

Becker said he had "cried my eyes out" as he thought back to his three Wimbledon championships, and had wanted to go out.

But wife Barbara, seven months pregnant with their second son, wanted him to stay at their hotel with her.

"We rowed for two whole hours. Suddenly she was in pain and decided to check into hospital."

Afraid that she was about to give birth to their second child prematurely, she asked a friend to take her to hospital.

Becker instead decided to go out and found himself at 11pm in the trendy Nobu Japanese restaurant, where he saw Angela.

He recognised her from a couple of weeks earlier, when he had visited the restaurant in the run-up to Wimbledon and seen her looking at him.

Becker followed when she left her table for the toilet, and minutes later they were making love.

"Five minutes of small talk, then we went straight into the nearest available corner and got down to business," he recalled.

"She went back to her friends; I had another beer, paid, and took a taxi back to the hotel."

Barbara's labour pains were a false alarm.

The next February, he got a fax.

"Dear Mr Becker," it read. "We met some time ago in Nobu in London. The result of our meeting is now in its eighth month."

Becker rang a number on the fax, to be told by Angela that she was expecting his baby.

"It pulled the floor out from under my feet," Becker said.

He confessed to his wife. She agreed to try to make the marriage work, but they soon split.

Becker said the affair accelerated the break-up because whenever they argued, Barbara could always deploy the "killer fact" – his London fling.

[Donny]

Boom Boom. Thank you Ma'm.

Now wouldn't you reckon a millionaire tennis superstar could afford to have a packet of condoms in his pocket ? He obviously indulged or was tempted in this direction, often.

"Is that a tennis ball in your pocket, Boris, or are you just happy to see me?"

Can you imagine the child as it grows up ?

"My Dad is Boris Becker"

"Oh, did your Mum and Boris have a long relationship?"

"About 5 minutes - in a broom closet"

Sad, Boris. Did you need to tell the world ?

[MargOZ]

Couldn't agree more Donny. As if what he did wasn't bad enough (while his wife was in pain in hospital, possibly ready to give birth!) now he's writing about it for the whole world to read just so he can fill his greedy pockets with more money. Of course Ms Ermakowa must have known who he was and also should have known better - unless that was her plan all along!

Marg

[Donny]

Yes, good point Marg.

It does takes two to tango and she could well have been setting him up. It does happen but usually the woman gets paid off - sometimes exactly what she was after - and it doesn't become public.

Can you imagine how many rock stars (and other celebs) illegitimate children there are ?