Whee-imbledon!

Wednesday was Wimbledon day! After musing about it for a while, we decided to make it early so that we had a better chance for the main court seat tickets. One of the advantages of being in Tooting (more specifically, StG halls) is the fact that the Wimbledon lawn tennis courts are just 45 minutes walk away! We reached the 2-km queue at 7 am (the queue was already just under 1 km at 8 pm the day before) and though Ruth got Court No. 1 tickets (and saw Serena Williams and ROGER FEDERER play!!), we only managed to get Court No. 2 tickets through a miscommunication about queues. Nevertheless, we were extremely excited to enter the grounds at about 10 am. A cold start had given way to blue skies and we looked forward to good weather and good tennis. But first, a picnic for sustenance.

The Wimbledon grounds is like a village in itself, with shops, a bank, and picturesque grounds. Aorangi Terrace, the hill on which many people watch the main court matches on big-screen TV, was bathed in sunlight when we reached the top, and made for many nice pictures and panoramas of the courts below.

And as we wandered among the immaculate grass-topped courts, we chanced upon a hushed crowd watching SERENA WILLIAMS warm up. It was Steve who pointed out her father shuffling around the court first, before we caught sight of Serena at the far end of the court. Out came the cameras!

We were determined to make full use of our front-row Court No.2 tickets and so made our way to watch FERNANDO GONZALEZ (now out after a 5-setter against Serbian Tipsarevic) play Alessandro Falla. Gonzalez won in 4 sets and 3 1/2 hours, giving us an entertaining match in which he was once booked for "ball abuse" when he kicked a ball out of the court. He later apologised to a ball when he kicked it back to the ballboy, the joker.

SH, Justin and I left to watch a legend play on the outside courts - MARTINA HINGIS was playing Akiko Nakamura. Justin was fortunate enough to get a seat while SH and I gained elevation on a stile to see Hingis beat the Japanese player 6-1 6-2. It was an okay match, but not up to the top seeds' standards. yet a huge crowd had gathered, and it was almost comical how the cameras would be whipped up at any turn Hingis took towards them (myself included!). Justin took the picture below and wanted to sell it to SH and I for 100 pounds each - can you see why? ;>

SH and I took a time-out for some strawberries (what would Wimbledon be without them?) sans cream (the guys had the cream and were busy enthusing over Jankovic's playing and looks on Court No. 2) before joining the guys for James Blake's appearance at Court No. 2. It soon began to rain, however (but what would Wimbledon be without the rain, either?) and being the kiasu people that we were, we waited in the rain, harbouring hopes that it would pass. I have never watched the clouds so avidly before, nor wished them such speed! After 2 hours of waiting, there was a break in the rain and even though there was a huge ominous cloud above, the court covers were deflated and retracted, in preparation for play. The tantalising prospect was soon dashed when fat droplets began to fall from the abovementioned cloud (which the Met Office had said was to pass Wimbledon :( ) and play was officially abandoned. 4 of us Court No. 2-ers joined the throng heading home and went for a nice hot curry, hot enough to heat the cold and dampness away from us.

Despite the cold and the long waits (3 hours in queue in the morning, and 2 hours for the rain) the Wimbledon experience is definitely one I wouldn't have missed for the world! Now everytime I watch the matches I feel a thrill of delight in the fact that I was there. It also feels quite surreal that its weather is also mine, the skyscapes match the ones I see exactly, and when the camera rises high for a shot of the surrounding landscape I can tell you which direction my accomodation is in. Real surreal. Maybe we'll try for Court No. 1 tickets next year...