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Groggy-eyed and somewhat sleep-deprived, 12 OU Students and I met our three cabs around 3:45 am. Wimbledon is all about fashion and looking sharp without much branding, so a White OU Director of Graduate Studies Collared T-Shirt and my Midwest Tennis hat were easy pics!
An FSU Prof named Jason, who was not a part of our group but was with another program being hosted by the same Center, was expecting a cab that didn't show. This turned out to be a big break for this rookie FTL correspondent. In reporting, it's all about connections - and now I had one that mattered for later.
Once there, the masses are organized by groups into a grassy area twice the size of an American Football field. Each person gets a sequential ticket that eventually determines what you have access to purchase. About 10% of the tickets for each stadium are held back for day-of purchases. Many hundreds of tents took up the rows covering the first 4 groups, with each group easily containing 300-400. All told, about 2,500 were in front of us. These are folks who camped out overnight to be able to buy the prized Centre Court tickets that would bring matches from Nadal and Murray. But wait, I learned from the attendants that many of the tents were actually people who had no interest in purchasing tickets that day at all. Their plan was to give up tickets for Day 5 (Friday) and then move up to the front of the Que for SATURDAY morning purchases (and Federer's match). Apparently many of the people in my situation (the early-risers as opposed to the overnighters) also wanted Saturday tickets because tournament organizers announced at 7 am Friday that all the tickets for Centre court SATURDAY would be taken by people already in the que.
The starting 2,500 in front of us had turned into five times that figure as the sun was rising about an hour later. And this is just to purchase the 10% of "leftovers" not sold through the main lottery/debenture process. Well, that and the intriguing £25 grounds access passes. By 7 they were turning people away from entering the que, saying even the ground passes would be sold out, so we were getting worried about our chances of getting anything other than ground passes (still a treat). But around 7:30, the attendants start the all-important process of giving out the coveted colored wrist bands that denote your ability to purchase the prize tickets. Centre Court was out from the start.....but the crew with the Court 1 passes was slowly approaching, now just at the early portions of our group row. A student named Andrew Donald was in the line furthest ahead. He left the other 3 that came in the first taxi and came back to me at my position - maybe 100 people back. [I had made sure all the students were in the first cabs that left and took the last one.] He said he wasn't interested in Court 1 and just wanted the experience - he also could tell it meant a lot to me - and did I want to trade him spots. We traded and it mattered. Just a bit later, they approached our small group of 4 with about 20 cream colored wrist-bands left.....and the four of us got them. The other 8 had Court 2 ticket access, but many picked the cheap grounds passes.
The next 2-3 hours are still very much about waiting....but at least waiting in style. They bring you treats, juice, and coffee, all for free - just handing it out in line. The process has elements of orderliness and elements of chaos - it's a treat in the juxtaposition of old traditions and new technologies. The end of all this waiting comes when I buy best available - overhead sun to my back during the late afternoon/evening matches to Court 1 that I can. Turns out to be 8th row about 8 feet left of the net. [Like I'm between the net and the service line, about 35 feet from the court all told, but 20 of those feet aren't seating rows.]
But no matches on court 1 until 1:00, so I jet to the practice courts. A powerful swinging tall lady is hitting in court 9 in the distance, so I head over. It's Vicky Azarenka getting ready for her opening match on Centre court with Brit Heather Watson. Watson's hot right now and a huge favorite of the crowds for sure, so that's not as easy challenge. After about 10 minutes, she's done hitting. I realize I'm on the wrong side of the court - her people are on the other. A handful of lucky folks get to snap shots with her - she lets the first few and a couple of autographs play out, then quickly tears away.....very focused. She would win a difficult three setters where Watson came out on fire.
I overhear someone say Court 3 still has a few open seats. Court 3...that's the early Nishikori vs. Bautista Agut match. I bolt. When I get there, I see the group of 5 OU students who went in one of the big cabs - with an open seat bordering - so I match up. They were awesome - I got to explain all the rules before the players came out and started hitting. Two knew tennis but three were getting their first taste. I got to watch most of the first set - but it was clearly going to be tight. They were 4-4 on serve when I took off to get a bite and see what's up for court 1. That match would go turn into a close 4 setter where the smallest player in the men's top 20 played with the biggest heart, and pulled it out over Japan's tennis darling...
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Wonderful coverage of tennis' most hallowed event. Thanks, Greg! That's all for today. But stay tuned for more of Greg's amazing field report later this week!
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Wonderful coverage of tennis' most hallowed event. Thanks, Greg! That's all for today. But stay tuned for more of Greg's amazing field report later this week!
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