My first-ever visit to Wimbledon for Day 10 of this year's competition (my wife had been in previous years).
We had a late breakfast at the Wimbledon branch of Bill's (nothing special), then walked through the town centre in the baking heat, admiring how many of the businesses are marketing the event. Here is a small sample:
I don't follow tennis closely, so I wasn't intending to cheer for any one player. The wildcard entry Arthur Fery (GB) was playing later on in Centre Court, but we wouldn't see that unless we left to find a spot on Henman Hill, where we could watch it on the big screen.
I didn't much care who won the first match between Noskova and Mertens. The ladies' game seemed to be decided by whoever made the fewest gaffes, rather than who played the most winning shots. Getting it over the net gave a big advantage.
The second match of the day was Fritz vs Zverev. Note how it's listed as the Gentleman's Singles, not Men's Singles. I decided I didn't want the American to win, and he dutifully complied in straight sets. The Men's game is much faster, with service playing a huge role in winning points.
With a tiny section of Henman Hill visible through the gangway opposite, whenever Fery broke service on Centre Court, the cheers were so loud that our players had to pause for the noise to subside. When Fery won, Court 1 erupted like he'd won the championship. Our pair had to wait again. The game finished shortly afterwards with Zverez also winning in straight sets.
I didn't know that doubles matches use a taller net. After the singles one has been replaced, a man with a stick has to check the height at the cord in the middle of the net is correct.
The food shop is a technological marvel. You scan a credit or debit card to get in (£7 reserve placed on it), then cameras monitor what you have as you walk out and charge you accordingly in real time. I wasn't that impressed by the famous strawberries and cream. The cream was watery and left the bottom of the carton sodden, but the fruit was delish. Overall, prices were not too extortionate (for London).
Ticket Price: 2 x £210 (according to my wife - purchased as an LTA member)
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| Vodafone |
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| Aldi |
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| A gym? |
Then up the hill and along to the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (aka Wimbledon). Traffic was heavily impacted by road closures, so taking the bus would have taken just as long.
Once in the queue, we got in quickly. Multiple ticket checks ensured no one sneaked in with fake tickets (the barcode had to be viewed in the app, with the animated bouncing tennis ball displayed to verify authenticity - no screenshots).
Inside, it was hoaching. The main court matches had yet to begin, so people clustered outside the outdoor courts, slowing traffic in the surrounding area. We'd brought a Greggs meal deal for our lunch, so we didn't need to use the shops (the queue to get into the main Wimbledon shop at that time was huge).
We did buy a programme (£12) at one of the vendor stands. The programme is printed daily and had already been updated with all the games up to the previous day.
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| My seat: Gangway 17, Row S, Seat 108 |
The view was excellent, despite our high position. One bonus of being so far back was being protected from the sun by the roof, but it was warm. Below, many in the crowd used fans, creating the effect of fish tails wiggling in a sea of people. The first champagne cork popped at 12:49.
The ushers are polite bulldogs who pounce on any transgressors. Try to leave during a match, they rise from their seat and point the finger - no arguments. Use the wrong gangway, you get sent back. If you got away with stepping over a seat and were already in the correct one, they'd still come over and explain why you shouldn't have done that.
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| Our view of the court - I don't know why my photo quality sucks |
My wife explained that court side was surrounded by uniformed representatives from the Armed Forces as player protection.
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| First match |
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| ballgirls on umbrella sunshade duty |
I didn't much care who won the first match between Noskova and Mertens. The ladies' game seemed to be decided by whoever made the fewest gaffes, rather than who played the most winning shots. Getting it over the net gave a big advantage.
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| Noskova progressed to the semi-finals |
One aspect of the game I hadn't noticed on the telly was how drilled the ballboys and ballgirls are. They stand with military precision, constantly poised to retrieve any stray tennis ball. Once they have it, it must be swiftly relayed down the line to those at the serving end. Everyone has to be back in position as quickly as possible, leading to some frantic dashes, with the tails of their caps flapping away.
With a tiny section of Henman Hill visible through the gangway opposite, whenever Fery broke service on Centre Court, the cheers were so loud that our players had to pause for the noise to subside. When Fery won, Court 1 erupted like he'd won the championship. Our pair had to wait again. The game finished shortly afterwards with Zverez also winning in straight sets.
We waited to watch the first set of the Ladies Invitational doubles, but by then the sun had crept round and was toasting our thighs. We nipped away to get something to eat.
Having seen what we had come to see and sat on Henman Hill eating our sandwiches, we did a nosey around the main merch shop and then left, following the crowd to Southfields Underground. Security controlled the flow, so no one got stuck standing on the road when the entrance to the Underground blocked up.
Afterwards, I fancied ice cream. We found a cafe called The Milkman, about a ten-minute walk from Euston Station. The sole assistant wasn't rude, but he wasn't far off when he explained I couldn't have two flavours. Nothing is stored. Everything is made fresh.
Fresh ice cream? How does that work? I wondered.
Short answer: liquid nitrogen. The coconut ice cream he made was up there with the best I've ever tasted.
Ticket Price: 2 x £210 (according to my wife - purchased as an LTA member)
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