'Costly' Kournikova ditched by Oxford Union

Anna Kournikova's planned speech at the Oxford Union has been ditched after the cost of her visit became too high.

According to the Daily Mail, organisers of the university's £39-a-head summer ball were unhappy with the former tennis star's requests for chauffeur-driven cars and first class flights for herself and two assistants.

"The estimate of the costs of Miss Kournikova's visit to the Union was in excess of £2,500. We felt that it would be fiscally irresponsible to spend this amount on a single event," said Union president Corey Dixon.

It is thought that the Union budgets £4,000 per term to cover around 20 speakers, with most, including recent guest Martin Sheen, offering to waive their usual appearance fee.

The Union is now looking for another speaker ahead of this month's Garden Of Eden ball.