It’s that time of year again: strawberries, rain, athletic young folk leaping about in whites, and the gentle thwack of balls. Tennis balls, that is. Yup, Wimbledon is here again. Two weeks of joy for tennis fans, two weeks of fuming and searching the tv listings for *anything* that isn’t tennis for those of a less sporting persuasion. But hey, it is only once a year.
For me, it’s two weeks of bliss that bring back happy memories of perching on Mum’s knee and watching the likes of Ilie Nastase and a young Jimmy Connors on a grainy black and white tv. These days it’s slightly less of an event, simply because thanks to cable television there’s more chance to catch up with our tennis heroes and heroines week in, week out. Back then, if you missed the action at Wimbledon, you’d have to wait a whole year before you saw tennis again, with the minor exception of the US Open final. Not the whole tournament, you understand – just the final.
So, for the next two weeks I may not be at my desk much. Instead you can find me camped in the living room with a tray of sandwiches, and perhaps a laptop, hooked up to the telly and imbibing tennis intravenously. As long as it doesn’t rain, of course. Because Wimbledon is played on grass, the matches have to be stopped if it rains, in case someone slips over and hurts themselves. This year, the All England Club have gone to vast expense to fit a roof over Centre Court, so that at least one match can continue if the heavens open. Normally the spectators hate rain because it plays havoc with their viewing schedule. This year, according to a BBC website survey, 80% actually want it to rain so they can see the new roof in action.
Including me, I’m ashamed to say.
I wish I can fly… to this green court…. grass….Wimbledon.
Have a nice moment, there..
Thank you! I take it there’s no chance of you ever getting there? Bad luck…
Must admit I’ve never actually been to the Championships either, just watched on tv. Partly because it’s terribly expensive, partly because I Don’t Do Queues, and partly because you get a better view from the tv cameras anyway!
Yeah Fiona, seems no chance up to now… unless I’ll be a millionare.. someday..
..
But I’m happy, that I saw the tournament last week on TV, LIVE… and watched Fedex won over “the great player” Roddick..
The grass still green… the sound still crowded… And the last but not least, fedex not crying again…
))…
LOL. Yes, there is an evil temptation to want to see the roof actually ‘do’ something. It will take me awhile to get used to it.
I’ve neglected Wimbledon in recent years, although it was the one sporting event that always caught my interest. I remember biting my nails at so many matches, and one year having to stand up, wander into the kitchen and wait to hear that last winning round because I couldn’t stand to watch any more. I watched the replay on that point because the tension was too great and I could only do it after the ‘win’ and I could finally relax with a big grin on my face.
It is expensive but it can also just be damn difficult to get a ticket and especially if you’re bothered over which match you want to watch. A friend of mine tried and was over the moon only to discover she had tickets for one of the ‘boys’ matches. I don’t do queues of that sort either. LOL.
Just to keep the balance, I have to register the fact that, although I emphatically am ‘of a sporting persuasion’, I fall into the second category as far as Wimbledon is concerned – i.e. I loathe the tennis mania that grips the land just for 2 weeks. If people are that interested in, enthralled by tennis, how come they don’t clamour for it at other times? All those unbearable but enduring clichés – the strawberries, the queues, the cries of ‘Come on, Andy’, the Brits on Henman Hill – oh, I must stop, I feel a fit of the vapours coming on.
Shaz – I probably don’t get as excited as I used to. I can remember chewing my nails, cheering my favourite on madly and, like you, not being able to watch! I’m slightly less excitable these days, but it makes it more comfortable.
I don’t get ‘as excited’ either. I think it’s because there seem to be less ‘personalities’ than there used to be. There was someone you could usually cheer for even they didn’t play for your country (she whispers), or you’d have a handful of people and your loyalties would shift as they played out. I prefer watching grass court tennis to clay.
Bill – don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty that annoys me about the tournament, not least the way the BBC insist on showing every last match involving a British player, even if they’re dire and have NO chance of winning, and even if there’s a gem of a match going on on another court….
I suppose the reason we have mania for 2 weeks is that most people haven’t yet woken up to the fact that tennis is also available the rest of the year now.