Henman Hill

The fans were out in great numbers today, and Henman Hill was rocking. This is an area on the grounds of the All England Club officially known as Aorangi Terrace. However, during Tim Henman’s playing days fans with day passes would gather to watch the match on the giant TV screen, it was dubbed Henman Hill, and the name has stuck.

It’s a beautiful sunny summer day, and the grassy hill is packed with spectators cheering on Andy Murray. They bring blankets, lunch, babies, and books… check out the woman in this photo calmly reading while everyone around her is glued to the televised action. The pints flow freely, and a holiday spirit fills the air. Fans know that the TV cameras often scan the area, and bring hand painted signs greeting their mom’s cheering on Murray, or telling the world they (heart) Wimbledon.

They were there for Andy, but their hearts still belong to Tim. A huge cheer rose when the British favorite appeared briefly in the royal box before taking up the microphone to do commentary on the match for the BBC

Wonder if they will rename it Murray Hill? Broadcasters have tentatively tried Murray Mound, Mount Murray, and Murrayfield, however most people still prefer the tag Henman Hill, so it looks like it will stick even though he is retired.

Someone told me that they allow six thousand fans to queue for tickets, and by the look of the site today, they came close to capacity . It’s near impossible to get even close to any of the outside courts. A lot of people have given up and are napping on the grass in Aorangi Park. Of course this could also be due to alcohol consumption which is high here.

I see that the Bryan’s have lost the first set, so I try to get onto court 14 .. . this can only be done with grim determination, but I learned from my friend the German photographer a couple of day’s ago, to just keep going and don’t look back. I make it onto the court, but its really difficult to make a doubles photo from the sidelines, so I nail off a couple of frames just so I’ll have something in case they loose, and move onto center court for the end of the Murray Haas match.

Murray seems to be in good form, not loosing his cool, and Tommy is obviously frustrated. Tommy Hottie as the women on the tour call him, has been one of the unluckiest players on the tour in the last few years, suffering numerous injuries, and having to retire from two matches because of food poisoning. He said once that Wimbledon was his favorite tournament and winning here was always a goal, but he’s 30 years old, so that looks like an impossible dream.

The Scot has blown 2 match points in the fourth set, and I started worrying that it was going to go five, but an error from Hass finished the match, and Murray will move into the fourth round matching his previous Wimbledon record..

My big plans to have a night out in the village last night did not work out as I ended up staying here until 12:30 AM.. Actually that was the earliest I have gotten out of here this week .. Any way, I’m bailing out tonight ..Determined to have some laughs and a life. Tomorrow is a day off. The middle Sunday. We all love and look forward to this day off like kids whose parents have promised them a trip to Disneyland. However, I will still be blogging so check in with me tomorrow.

The Gates of Heaven

Enter through the black wrought iron gates of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, or as it is more commonly referred to, the All England Club, and you are on the site of The Championships, Wimbledon. The club was founded in 1868 as the All England Croquet Club. The first tennis Championships in men’s singles were held as a way to raise money for a pony-drawn roller for the croquet lawns.

The Championships, which began in 1877 is the oldest and most prestigious event in the world of Tennis. Tradition is the name of the game here, and the atmosphere is somewhat that of a lovely garden party where people just happen to be playing tennis. The English are known for their gardens and the grounds are beautifully landscaped. Purple and green are the official colors here and they have carried on that theme with , lavender, pink and white hydrangea, fragrant roses, and hanging baskets of purple and white flowers. Someone here knows what they are doing. I’ve never thought that a cold rainy climate was great for gardens, but everything is blooming profusely.

Speaking of cold rainy climate, yes, the normal Wimbledon weather arrived today. I knew it was too good to be true when we had four consecutive days with sunshine. As I walked up the hill this morning it started sprinkling, then sprinkling harder, then raining, and finally I had to run through a downpour the last few yards. It stopped around 2PM and by the time they got the covers off play started again around 2:30. The good news was they could play and not get behind, the bad news is, and it stayed cold, dark and windy all day.

I really had no incentive to do photos under these conditions, so thought I’d check out the shopping. First stop, the official Wimbledon Shop. As you enter to the left there is a sign that reads, “Luxury goods”. They are not kidding this is a shop where the T-shirts start at 25 GBP. That’s Great British Pounds which at the current exchange rate converts to $49.82. The merchandise is traditional and high quality, but at these prices, I won’t be filling up my luggage.

Next idea for staying dry is the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum. This is definitely worth a visit. The museum is a beautifully designed contemporary space, which won a special commendation in the 2008 European Museum of the Year Award

This state of the art museum features artifacts and exhibits never seen before. There is also a fantastic cinema with a 200 degree screen that immerses the viewer into the world of The Championships. There is also a re-creation of the Gentlemen’s dressing room with a ghost like figure of John McEnroe acting as your guide.

Unfortunately, they don’t allow photos, so I can’t show you this wonderful space, but on your next visit here, be sure to check it out.

After all this shopping and museum walking, I’m in need of a little refreshment. The Champagne Bar is the popular hang out here. There is live band, Champagne and Pimms. I’m not sure if you are familiar with this drink, but the Brit’s love this as much as their cup of tea, and down gallons of it in the summer. It’s basically an aromatic gin based liqueur that is mixed with lemonade, fruit, and mint. This is quite a nice drink, but I still have to get a little work done today, so reluctantly, I settle for an ice tea. The bartender can’t believe that I’m not drinking anything alcoholic so I promise come back for a Pimms on a day after I’ve finished shooting.

Enough fun for the day, Ivanovic lost the first set, and I’m going to need a few snaps of her in case she looses. How right I was. The seeds here are falling faster than the rain. The number one seed and favorite to win the title, Ivanovic is out in straight sets to China’s Zheng Jie, who is ranked 133 in the world. It was 6-1, 6-4 in a quick 72 minutes.

It was surprising that Ivanovic went out in the 3rd round, but not entirely surprising that she did not take the title. The last woman to win the French and Wimbledon back to back was Serena Williams in 2002.

That’s it for today, I’m planning a night out in the Village, so check in tomorrow and I’ll tell all.

The Party's Over

Yep, the Wimbledon Party is over for Andy and James.

I was on my way for a quick bite to eat around 4PM, thought... hmmm better check on James match first … OH MY WORD... he is just starting the fifth set. Forget lunch. I start fast hiking over to court 3, plotting how I’m going to get on the court. This is the worst court for photographers on the site. It’s a very popular show court with limited seating and narrow walkways on both sides. The fans are always packed in as tight as hot dogs packaged in shrink wrap, and aren’t about to let a 5’2’ girl push her way to the front. Then … yes!! A tall German photographer pushed past me... perfect… I stuck close, acted like I was attached to him while he made his way through the crowd to the court. There were a few disgruntled fans, but sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do.

Its 3 all and we can’t go on court until they change ends, so we kneel on the concrete (Ouch) next to the security guard.

Schuettler wins the 7^th game, and we make our way onto the grass. It’s damp and there are no benches. Not comfortable. This is what we go through to record these great moments in Tennis!

James evens the score to 4 all. Schuettler wins his serve and goes up 5-4. They change ends again, and I follow Blake to the other end. Now Blake is serving to stay in the match. I’m as nervous as him. I’m having a hard time concentrating on shooting. Oh no. Schuettler has a match point... James makes a save, and we are back to deuce. Uh Oh, Schuettler makes the point and has another match point; James makes another save, back to deuce. I’m shooting with a long lens and I can see the tension on James face. Schuettler wins the deuce, and has a third match point, he wins the point and it’s all over. James looks so miserable I can barely look at him, but I know I’m going to need this photo so I snap off a couple of frames and move on to the Roddick match.

It’s turned cold, dark and windy. I’m wearing my cute little Roxy beach girl jacket that is not even close to warm enough. Must try to remember that clothing I think is warm in California is not going to do anything about keeping me from freezing here.

Tipsarevic, the tattooed Serbian, is up two sets to one, they are just starting the 4^th. Andy is visibly unhappy. Talking to himself … not to kindly I might add, looking to the heavens for help, and having verbal confrontations with Serbian fans.

The set is close, 1-1, 2-2, 3-3, 4-4, 5-5, and finally 6-6. They start the tiebreaker. I can’t take this, another of our Davis Cup guys making me catch my breath. Come on Arod, you are not going out in the second round! Andy wins the first point of the tiebreak, and I think, ok he’s going to be ok. But in the end, Janko wins the breaker, falls to the ground, raises a fist to the players box, throws his arms overhead with a huge grin, and a very disappointed Roddick exit’s the gentlemen’s singles.

Roddick to reporter in the post match press conference:

“Any chance I got I pretty much just choked it. So you know, that’s tough to deal with, “

“It’s not an easy thing to say, but it’s pretty much what happened. I could sit here and try to dance around it all night, but, I mean, you guys watched it. It was what it was. It’s like you want something so bad you almost squeeze too tight.”

And this was something that Andy wanted badly. When ask how much he wanted this, he replied, “It’s almost at this point win another slam or what. You know, that’s also a tough... you know, it’s a tough thing to kind of deal with. “Either you win another slam or what, you’re disappointing?”

This was Roddick’s earliest loss here, and distraught is probably the best word to describe his feelings right now. However, disappointing because he has “only” won one slam? I don’t think so. Maybe American fans need to take a lesson from the Brits who cheer and support their players even though they have never won a slam. Roddick has been the heart of our Davis Cup team and had a large part in our win last year. Let’s not let him think he is disappointing because he has only won one slam.

On a brighter note, Andy Murray thrilled British fans serving up and Ace on match point to defeat Xavier Malisse in straight sets to move into the third round.

And last but not least… a little humor to end the day… met “The Boys from Kent” as they call themselves, having a wonderful time at the Championships. I ask them what players they were supposed to be… I thought the one with the blond wig might be trying for a Bjorn Borg look.. and they replied... They just decided to dress up for a bit of fun and they represented “all players”.

The Street Where I Live

I’m settling into my cute little house on Trentham Street in Southfields. This is a small pleasant little community that borders Wimbledon. The area where I’m renting was developed in the late 19^th century and consists almost entirely of Victorian built terrace houses. These houses are connected and share common walls on both sides. They are tall and narrow, with pleasant but small back yards. Originally a working class neighborhood, the old terrace houses have been redone by young successful career people, and are now quite attractive, expensive, and trendy. Over the years I’ve rented a number of them and find that each has it’s own style and charm. It’s interesting to see what the owners have done with the space as all of these terrace houses were originally much the same.

I’m sharing a two bedroom with my good friend from Australia, “The Coach”. He has a radio show called The Coach, where he interviews people and gives reports as though he were a coach. The show is light hearted and funny with mad Aussie humor. He jokes and asks crazy questions that only the coach could get away with asking. He’s simply been called “Coach” for so long that I think everyone has forgotten his real name. We’re good mates because we both have the same level of neatness .. very high. This is important if you are going to be sharing a house with someone for two weeks.

The house is about a 30 minuet walk to the site, and as I walked across the park to the site this morning, I saw what seemed like a never ending line to purchase tickets for today’s matches. One woman told me she had already been in there for 3 and one half hours. This was at 10 AM this morning. I’m not sure if they really love tennis that much or just enjoy hanging out in the park. They come equipped with radios, lunch, blankets, games, and plenty of tennis gossip. They meet up with friends and acquaintances from previous years of queuing. I think that the queuing up is part of the fun of going to the matches for the day. Of course the English are know for the queue. This, incidentally, is the Latin for tail, so these fans are forming a tail to the Championships! There is a saying here that if an Englishman comes upon a queue he will just automatically stand in it, not necessarily even knowing what is for! Queuing at Wimbledon is such a tradition, that if you go to the official Wimbledon site there are actually guidelines and a code of conduct to follow. I will be keeping you updated on “Queue” tidbits in future blogs.

As for the matches, it was a tough day for the Serbs. Novak Djokovic who most people considered a serious contender for the title went out in straight sets to Marat Safin. Although the big Russian came into the Championships ranked 65, he was one of the most dangerous floaters in the draw. However, no one expected Djokovic, who is on the rise and has been hot lately to bow out in such an unspectacular way, double faulting the last point of the game at 5-2, in the third.

Safin, who is often the King of Clowns was uncharacteristically, calm and collected. Maybe he has finally matured enough to make the most of his spectacular talent.

While this was going on, number one seed, Ana Ivanovic was having her own problems on Court one. She finally prevailed but it took three hours and twenty three minutes for her to subdue the 97^th ranked Nathalie Dechy of France.

Well, I got here, but my bags didn’t. This is the third time in a year that my bags have been delayed. Last year at Wimbledon they didn’t show up for five days! I’m going to have to do a dance, light a candle, cast a spell for the Baggage God.

Getting There

Wow.. Travel is getting more difficult everyday. My first flight out of Los Angeles was delayed so long I was going to miss my connection in Washington DC. The agent explained that what I’d have to do, is take the flight from Los Angeles to DC, fly from DC back to Chicago, then Chicago to London. Are they kidding? Fly from one coast to the other, back to the Midwest then on to London? I ask how long all of this was going to take and was told a whopping TWENTY SIX HOURS!! No thank you. Definitely not doing that.

Next option was to take the same flight the next day, not great, but better and I do live near the airport so I was able to go home and sleep in my own bed.

Day two, LAX is a nightmare. The lines are out the door and down the block what is going on? Where are all these people going? Why are they putting themselves through this agony?

Personally, if I didn’t have to go for work, I would never fly in the summer. Actually considering the state of airline travel, I would probably opt to stay home, walk on the beach, sip Sangria, and have a relaxing summer.

Fortunately, I am a United Gold member so I can check in at the Premiere desk which is quick and they take your bags to X-Ray, so you don’t have to drag them across the lobby and wait in another line. There are a few perks to flying a lot. They also have a Premiere line for getting through security so this isn’t too painful either, but wait… there is no such thing as flying without pain any longer. My second flight is also delayed, and I’m going to miss my connection AGAIN!! Can you believe this? Is this something telling me I’m not meant to fly to London?

People are lined up around the desk all talking at once and shouting at the gate agent. Would not want her job today. I tell her my sad tale, and she takes pity on me and tells me that she will put me on the non-stop for the NEXT DAY. I’m starting to feel like I will never get to Wimbledon, but my only other option is to fly to DC and try to get on a standby to London. No, I do not want to hang out at the DC airport for heaven only knows how long hoping to get on a flight then for sure getting a horrible seat.

Ok… will take the non-stop even though this means another cab ride back to my house. So far I’ve spent $120.00 in cab fare and I’m not finished. Can she bump me up to business? Yes she will do this, I’m a good customer of United and she feels bad for all my problems. Things are starting to look up.

One more bright spot. My cab ride. Before going back to the airport for the second time, I called my usual taxi company and booked a driver. A normal looking yellow cab pulled up to my house exactly on time, a pleasant driver hopped out and loaded my bags, and opened the door for me. OH MY WORD!! I have never seen anything like this. The entire interior is covered with photos of passengers and friends, flashing mini lights, a large flashing ball, basket of candy, typed sayings and clips of newspaper articles about this taxi. The driver Kenny tells me that no one is just a passenger. Everyone is a friend who he is helping to get where they are going safely.

Originally from Jordan, he says that life in Southern California with the beautiful weather spoils you for any place else.He tells me how he loves his job. How everyday is different, how everyday he meets such wonderful people.

I completely lucked out in getting this cab, because normally he doesn’t take calls that come in on the company phone. He has his own customers who call him directly or give his number to friends. He only took this call because they were short handed and ask him to pick me up.

He said his daughters started decorating his taxi several years ago. It started small but has grown over the years. The holidays are his favorite. On Halloween the whole cab is done up like a haunted house with a huge pumpkin on top. At Christmas there is of course a Christmas tree and Santa. Thanksgiving you will find a large Turkey riding on the roof …don’t worry, it’s not real.

So, with all my travel problems, something good came. I met a man who will lift your spirits, who does his job with joy and love. No one can be in a bad mood in Kenny's cab. Thank you, Kenny you made my day.

If any are any are ever coming to Los Angeles and need a taxi, drop me a line, and I’ll give you Kenny’s number. I promise, you won’t be disappointed .

Okay, enough of my travel talk. Guess I’d better talk a little about Tennis.

The big news for the Brit’s was Elena Baltacha’s win over Germany’s Angelique Kerber, making her the first British female into the second round. This with warm sun shining made it a very nice opening day for the English.

Nalbandian, seeded seventh, and a former finalist here was the first seed on the men’s side to fall. A nice revenge for Dancevic who lost to the Argentine in the second round last year.

Big serving American Sam Querry took the opening set from Spain’s Juan Carlos Ferrero, but the 21^st seeded Ferrero prevailed in four sets.

What’s up with all these Spanish clay court guys doing so well on grass? Nadal and David Ferrer both won grass court events in the last two weeks. This is going to be a very interesting Wimbledon. Is there really red clay packed beneath that emerald green grass?

On the women’s side, 12^th seed, Patty Schnyder is out, and Kuznetsova had a scare, but pulled out her match in three sets.

That’s it for today… tune in tomorrow and I’ll share more adventures at the Big W.

Wimbledon 2008

Hi all...sorry but this isn't Cynthia. Cynthia is sitting in the airport in Los Angles waiting for the flight that should already be here...to decide to actually fly here. That's one of the glamorous parts of this job...airports, flight delays, luggage problems...I could go on and on. Believe it or not, she's not the only one with flight problems. I'm sitting in the press center at Wimbledon as I write and there are many empty desks. While I realize that shouldn't be too surprising at almost 2am, I have received emails from others having flight delays. So everyone keep their fingers crossed that she makes it across the pond safely and quickly!

On this, the first official day of the 2008 Wimbledon Championships, all the favorites, Federer, Serena, Ivanovic, and Djokovic made it through to the next round. Monfils withdrew due to a shoulder injury and Nalbandian lost to Dancevic. Just in case you don't know, Frank Dancevic is Canadian.

With over 39,000 people on the grounds today it was crowded. The sun was shinning and matches continued past 9pm. The most interesting...at least to me...thing I saw was the unique place Bethanie Mattek had an advertisement...on her left upper arm. It was one of those temporary tattoes advertising JAZ skin care products.I don't think the powers that be at Wimbledon can say anything about what is located on her body...interesting. Now she not only doesn't wear "regulation tennis clothes" but she doesn't even carry a racket bag. She won her first round match against Bremond of France. According to the guy that owns JAZ, we should continue to watch Bethanie as he plans to move the "ads" around to different spots on her body. Some may cause excitement!
Andy Roddick, James Blake, Venus Williams and Lindsay Davenport are all playing tomorrow. Check back tomorrow and don't forget...keep your fingers crossed that Cynthia finally gets here!
Susan