Preparing for a trip to Wimbledon is akin to a holiday abroad. The excitement builds the day before when you pack clothes for every eventuality, sun cream, shades and an oversized hat. Also, you mustn’t forget the picnic; sandwiches galore and the token bottle of wine or beer you can take on site. The next step is getting to the train station and boarding the correct train unscathed. Finding a parking space at 8.50am can prove a little difficult and it usually results in a quick dash to the ticket office and on to the train with seconds to spare.
Being in the middle of a heatwave the tube journey could have been more enjoyable, but everyone going from Victoria to Southfields knew what to expect and just happily smiled through it knowing the end result would be well worth the squash. As the train pulled into Southfields everything, and I mean everything, was emblazoned in purple and green so there was no mistaking that we were in the right place. A short walk for the tube took us to the front gates; I must say at this point I was very excited at being allowed to walk down the ‘ticket holders only’ side of the street; simple things!
The first thing that strikes you about Wimbledon as you enter the home of The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club is the sheer size and complexity of the ground, and not forgetting the vibrant colours. People might not know but Wimbledon is a private members club that is open all year round and this standard is maintained by a dedicated team 365 days a year.
We got our bearings, a quick bacon sarnie from the hamper and were set for the day. Centre Court certainly does take centre stage at Wimbledon and is a huge, beautifully decorated building; there’s even a lift to the top floor! Henman Hill or Murray’s Mount is not a big as it looks on the telly, but they soon pack people onto it. Mostly just a patch of grass, people were already positioned for the day ahead at 10.30am, nearly 2 hours before the games commenced. The venue is full of food courts, Pimm’s bars and a Champagne garden, catering for everyone’s needs. Being in London and being a major sporting event the prices weren’t exactly user friendly, but when in Rome….it’s fair to say though that I won’t spend £3.50 on a pint of frozen squash ever again!
I had tickets to Centre Court and my friends court 1, with an amazing line-up to boot. The first games kicked off at 1pm and up first were Dimitrov v Gasquet. Dimitrov was the 11th seed and dead-set to win this match with ease, but it sadly wasn’t to be. Gasquet started as he meant to go on and cleaned up in three easy sets, 6-2, 6-4, 6-4. Sadly Dimitrov looked defeated and out of ideas after just one set, so I was glad the game was over in three sets, as at times it was painful to watch. Disappointingly for me, centre court had many empty seats during this game which meant the atmosphere didn’t really peak.
During the break I met up swiftly with my friends for a rapid exchange on experiences. After a brief chat, some strawberries and a drink we went off to our next game; for them Sharapova and for me Djokovic. By the time I had got to my seat Djokovic was already 4-1 up, all within 15 minutes! All I can say about this game is Djokovic is a master of his trade and poor, poor Tomic simply didn’t have a reply. Novak’s serve and movement around the court was simply superb, and the way he slides and hyperextends his ankle is something to behold. You really cannot fully appreciate tennis at its best on the small screen, it must be seen live. The accuracy and strength with which they hit the ball is sensational…when I hit a tennis ball it will stay hit all they way into the adjacent field.
The next game up was the game of the day….Serena Williams vs Heather Watson of Great Britain. Now, before the day I voiced my support for Serena and my love of her style of game, and there was no turning back for me once I was seated…me and the one other American in the entire stadium!
The atmosphere was electric, the noise was deafening and the Aussie fans were is great voice, geeing up the quiet and reserved British public. Despite being disappointed earlier by the empty seats, by now the court the brimming with Watson fans, ready to support the princess of British tennis.
This was Watson’s first game on Centre this year and the welcome she got from the crowd was spine-tingling. I’d be surprised if the moment didn’t get to her even a little. As they stepped up to the base line the noise was incredible and everyone was on the edge of their seats. The match started and stayed on serve, that was until Williams took a 3-1, then 4-1 lead. Watson managed to edge the set to 4-2, but Williams won the final two games taking the set with ease in under 25 minutes, hitting numerous aces and backhand, cross-court winners. The world No.1 looked on fire!
The second set was far more entertaining and the crowd certainly played a major part. At 2-2 Watson, with the whole crowd behind her, broke a Williams’ service game. The crowd went wild and I think the moment got to Watson, as Williams broke back straight away. It continued in this fashion until Watson found herself 4-5 up, and on serve to take the set. Watson used everything in her locker for this final game; dinks, drops shots, volleys and some pin point serving saw her take the game and set 4-6. At this point something was happening to Williams; whether it was internal torment for losing a set, the noise of the crowd, tiredness or concentration levels she just wasn’t performing and gifted Watson point after point and eventually the set. At this point my friends left Court 1 and made their way to the hill, as they could hear the cheering over their own match and didn’t want to miss out on what was becoming an unforgettable match.
The third and final set got underway and Watson took an unbelievable 0-3 lead; Williams making a catalogue of mistakes along the way. Could it be possible that the British no.1, ranked 59th in the world, was going to beat world no.1??? Something must have flicked a switch as Williams became a different player; overly aggressive and determined not to lose she bounced back to 4-3, winning four games straight. Watson looked tired and was chasing shadows, but the crowd didn’t drop and kept the motivation levels high whenever Watson won a simple point. It looked at this point that Williams would go on to dominate the remainder of the match, but it wasn’t to be. A more dogged and determined performance from Watson saw her sprint to a 4-5 lead and was serving for the match. The crowd did start to become a little hostile towards Williams at this point, calling out in the middle of rallies and booing as she tried to compose herself, which was very unsporting. I think if anything this spurred Williams on even more and she broke back and led the game at 6-5. If she wanted to remain in the game, Watson had to serve her way through it. Despite leading 40:15 Watson allowed Williams back into it, and after tussling at deuce for a while, Watson challenged a baseline hit by Williams, which was called good by Hawk Eye and Williams took the game and match. It was simply epic! I thought Williams was gracious in victory and allowed Watson the limelight, leaving swiftly for the post match interview and not hogging the autograph area.
Overall it was an extremely enjoyable day and it was great to have tickets to a show court so we had a base to go, rather then tussling for a patch of grass on the hill. Seeing tennis in real time, rather than in front of a TV, needs to be experienced to fully appreciate the athleticism and grace with which they move around the court, whether that be at Wimbledon, Queen’s Club, Eastbourne or Nottingham. The only real downside is I find it a shame that businesses use the tournament as a corporate gathering and hardly watch any tennis, but this is the price the general public pay for corporate sponsors at major events and will long continue.
My advice, if you get the opportunity to watch tennis live, whatever sports you might play, do not turn it down! #YOLO
Written By – Holly Stride – Project Officer (Events) Living Sport
Living Sport Blog 