Tennis Note #15
The Road to Wimbledon
by Ajay Phadke and Nikita Taparia
Wimbledon: A Quick History
Tradition. Wimbledon Whites. Grass Stains. Strawberries & Cream. These are the first few words that come to mind when I think about The All England Lawn Tennis Championships, otherwise known as Wimbledon. It is the third major of the year and the oldest tennis tournament with the first championship held was on July 9th, 1877. Seven years later, the ladies singles and gentlemen’s doubles made its debut. The ladies doubles and mixed doubles were not featured for another 36 years. The championship moved its location to Church Road in 1922 and has since remained the same, even surviving the WWII bombings. It turns out, until 1922, the previous champion received a bye all the way to the final! I bet Novak Djokovic and Petra Kvitova (2014 champion) would love if this rule still existed.
What do I mean by tradition? Here is an example: at Wimbledon, you MUST wear white. In fact, I think I’ll just let you read the rules.
You might have noticed in Tennis Note #14, a college preview of Wimbledon action, and this note, instead of men or women, the notation is gentlemen and ladies. In fact, players are addressed at Mr, Mrs, or Miss. There is also a day of rest on the Sunday before the second week begins. Wimbledon takes pride in their BBGs (Ball Boys and Girls). Wimbledon also features a visit from the royal family, seen sitting in the royal box, every year. Finally, there is the tradition of the queue, something I would love to experience. Several traditions took years to break. Here’s a list:
- Equal Prize Money between men and women — 2007
- Women allowed to play without a corset — 1920
- Men allowed to play in shorts — 1930s
- First African-American player invited to Wimbledon — 1951
- Yellow Tennis Balls allowed — 1986
Of course, this year the headline is pretty funny…
Finally, a few headlines you should know about Wimbledon if you are new to tennis, because you are bound to hear them over and over again:
- Roger Federer has won 7 Wimbledon titles (tied with Pete Sampras)
- John Isner d. Nicholas Mahut in the longest match in the history of tennis (See Tennis Note #1)
- Andy Murray ended a 77 year British drought on 7/7/2013 when he won Wimbledon.
- Serena Williams has won 5 Wimbledon titles and if she wins this year, she wins four consecutive majors.
Gentlemen’s Singles
The First Half of the Draw
The Second Half of the Draw
I want to point out the ‘new kids’. Get to know them because they could suprise us. I’ve marked them throughout the draw as New Kid #. I plan on watching all of their matches just because they are the new generation of tennis. On the opposite end of the spectra, former Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt is playing on the lawns for the last time. For this reason, I will probably watch his matches.
I just found out David Ferrer pulled out of Wimbledon due to injury so now that part of the draw is even more open. Luca Vanni takes his place and the last time he was a lucky loser, he surprised us all with his first ATP wins. Perhaps the 10th seeding for Nadal is a blessing although I will admit, I do not see him in the second week of Wimbledon. His first round match has the potential of being fun to watch, depending on his opponent’s consistency.
A few first round recommendations other than what I stated above:
- N. Djokovic v. P. Kohlschreiber
- F. Fognini v. T. Smyzcek
- T. Berdych v. J. Chardy
- G. Simon v. N. Almagro
- F. Lopez v. S. Darcis
- J. Sock v. S. Groth
While Murray most likely will have to go through Federer, I really do believe he has a shot to recapture Wimbledon.
Ladies’ Singles
The First Half of the Draw
The Second Half of the Draw
Serena Williams will attempt a sixth title at Wimbledon, a ‘Serena Slam’ — winning 4 consecutive majors, and a chance to win a career grand slam at the US Open. She proved in Paris that even though she was coughing up a storm, she can fight and win. Her main competition is on the other side of the draw: defending champion Petra Kvitova. She has the skill and abilitiy to prevent Williams this chance, despite their head to head record, which is mostly in favor of Williams. There is always potential for upsets and I have highlighted where in the draw there is quite a bit of uncertainty. The circled first round matches are my recommendations.
What do you think will happen? Let us know via notes/tweets/replies! Most matches are typically covered through ESPN3 online. You might have noticed the lack of a ‘Numbers’ piece for grass. Do not fret! It is coming soon! Catch Nikita commentating via @ByTheMinTennis on Twitter or her actual twitter handle! You may even hear her on the @ByTheMinTennis podcast occasionally, which just premiered.
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