When I wrote that there would be many dramas in the fortnight at Wimbledon, I had never expected such a crazy day as yesterday, or such a crazy tournament so far. Some of the results were totally unexpected. Who had expected that both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer would be gone from the Championship by Day 3? How about Maria Sharapova? Then there have been injuries forcing many players to pull out, including the likes of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Victoria Azarenka. If there is a positive, then there will not be a match between Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka under closed roof. I have watched Victoria Azarenka play under closed roof, and – how should I put it – it was not really a pleasant auditory experience. The exits of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer will inevitably lead to speculations regarding their future: will they back in Wimbledon again? Certainly I hope so. They have been the pillars of the game, and it is plain weird to see them go out so early, though perhaps this does signal a change of generations. I have watched Roger Federer play once in the past, a number of years ago: his movement was graceful, yet his strokes were forceful and unforgiving. I would love to see that again.
Talking of craziness that was yesterday: as I live nearby, I thought I might pop down to the venue to see how long the queue was for the post-5 o’clock entry, and found that the queue was huge. I saw it snaking back into Wimbledon Park, and decided not to bother asking one of the stewards. Given the length, I would not be surprised to learn that people who had queued up in the morning were still trying to get in after 5 PM. Sometimes, though, why do I get the feeling that some Britons are more excited about the queuing, than watching tennis matches?