Greetings, all. As many of you may already know, Pete will be crossing the Atlantic today to spend the next week in SW19, so he will be writing about the tennis from its green and leafy surroundings. Today the weather here is glorious and hot - no sign of showers. In fact, there's not a single, solitary, pesky cloud to be seen from where I'm sitting, a few miles south of the All England Club.
Please use this post to discuss anything tennis-related. Contenders and floaters? (Master Ace, where are you?). How many hours of tennis-watching have you managed to put in each day? (In my case, I have taken some time off work, so for the past few days have been in tennis heaven). What, if anything, do you do with the time on changeovers, or longer hold-ups to play? (I've discovered a new use for this time -- reading poetry, as long as it's in digestible pieces. I like my poems short anyway!) How has The Roof changed the feel of The Championships - and is one roof enough, or is one needed on Court 1 as well? It's an interesting subject, given that in Melbourne there are now roofs on both main show courts, while in Paris and New York there are none. I believe that at some point in the future there will be a second roof at Wimbledon - and have dealt with enough rain delays as a spectator on Court 1 to feel it's justified, given that Wimbledon remains the most expensive of tournaments to attend, at least for those determined to acquire the court of their choice on a specific day. I confess I've enjoyed the spectacle of the "night matches" here, and from comments I've heard from others who may be more casual tennis-watchers, these have been an after-work bonus for them.
Enjoy the day of rest!
-- Rosangel Valenti