Zootennis


Schedule a training visit to the prestigious Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, MD by clicking on the banner above

Friday, June 29, 2007

Wet Start, Clear Finish at Wimbledon


©Colette Lewis 2007--
London--

It started out with heavy rain, taxi queues and pessimism over the day's schedule, but it ended much better than it began. Summer could be detected in the warmth of the afternoon sun, and the blustery winds were hardly felt by the avid fans, if not the players.

We found our B&B in the Village, unpacked and then walked through the quiet residental streets to the AELTC. There was no traffic and no bustle; that's all on the other side of the club grounds, though our hostess warned us that dinner in the village would be a challenge with all the spectators stopping by. I picked up my credential (escorted to Press Reception by a impeccably uniformed young man--not the way its done it New York--believe me!), talked to many of the reporters and tennis people I had hoped to see this week, and even spotted a few U.S. juniors--Kellen Damico, Johnny Hamui, Brad Cox. The junior qualifying draws were nowhere to be found on the premises (and they are never posted to any Grand Slam website), so I'll be relying on the main draw sheets, due out any minute, to see who earned their way in at Roehampton today.

In short, it's been a whirlwind 24 hours of travel and talk. Not much tennis yet--that's on tap for tomorrow, weather permitting, of course.

0 comments: