How to Follow Wimbledon

By John O'Mahony

The tournament usually runs the last week of June and the first week of July. The tournament usually runs the last week of June and the first week of July.

Rate: (4 Ratings)

The Wimbledon Tennis Championships is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and, because it’s covered extensively by the media, there’s no need to hightail if off to London and stand in line for hours for tickets, to enjoy the action when 128 of the best tennis players in the world battle it out for more than $11 million in prize money – and the traditional silver cups and platters.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

  • Strawberries
  • Cream
  • Pimms No. 1
  • A good TV set

Step1
Check on the times of TV coverage from Wimbledon (See resources below for details). Set your TiVo or DVR if you can’t watch the action live and get ready to greatly enhance your enjoyment of the event by hosting a Wimbledon watching party for your tennis fan friends.
Step2
For basic Wimbledon fan planning, be aware that the tournament usually runs the last week of June and the first week of July. There's no play the middle Sunday unless matches have been rained out and they’re catching up.
Step3
For all the details of TV coverage, go to the NBC Sports website and cable channel ESPN, which both carry extensive coverage of the matches.(See resources below for more details.)
Step4
For up-to-the-minute information on day-to-day play, check out the BBC website – the broadcasting company has been televising Wimbledon since 1937 – or go to the official Wimbledon Tennis website which, for really diehard fans, offers streaming video of all the games on the Internet for a subscription of about $25.(URL's below)
Step5
During the first week, the early rounds of the Men’s and Ladies’ Singles, Men’s, Ladies’ and Mixed Doubles are played on all courts, with the top seeds’ matches on the Center and No. 1 Courts.
Step6
Before you get glazed over watching the ball flip to and fro over the net against the green background, familiarize yourself with the rules at the eHow page, “How to Play Tennis.” This article will give you a basic rundown of what you need to follow the game.
Step7
The most important thing to remember about scoring is that the matches are comprised of games and sets. A tennis match is made up of one to five sets and the sets contain games which are won by scoring points. Usually the first player to win six games wins a set but, if the score becomes five-games-all, one player must be two games ahead to win the set. So that matches don’t go on all day and into the night, once the score reaches six-games-all, a tie break is played to decide who wins the set. At Wimbledon, the men’s matches have five sets and the women’s three. Wimbledon is structured as a knockout tournament: Once a player loses a single match he/she is eliminated immediately.
Step8
And don’t get flummoxed by the French terminology which has been part of the game since it was patented in 1874 by Welshman, Maj. Walter Clopton Wingfield. Actually, the term "tennis" comes from the French “tenez” which means “hold!” You’ll hear terms like, “deuce” which comes from “à deux le jeu” ("to both is the game"), which just means that the two players, or teams, have the same score. And there’s always lots of “love” being bandied about. This term comes for “l'œuf” (the egg), and is a cryptic reference to the symbol for zero, as in zilch, which, depending on how you look at it, resembles an egg. Points in the games increase from 15, to 30, to 40 because, it’s said, the French words for these numbers sounded nice to early spectators and players. So, you see, “deuce,” “love” and the rest are an easy code – the tennis snobs are not really trying to hard to confuse you!
Step9
For those who can’t get to the courts in London, Wimbledon Tennis on TV is a great excuse to have a brunch party while watching the world’s tennis greats compete on Center Court. As the tennis ball pops off the rackets – with a pleasant lazy fat thwack -- you can chill out in front of the box with your favorite British foods. If you’re having difficulty finding or making Bangers and Mash, Toad in the Hole, Shepherds Pie, Cornish Pasties and the like, just make sure you have plenty of strawberries -- and oodles of heavy whipping cream to go with them -- and you’ll at least have the traditional snack that’s synonymous with the garden party atmosphere at Wimbledon.
Step10
Thirsty? You can drink British beer if you want – hard cider would be better -- but the traditional drink at Wimbledon is Pimm’s No 1, a gin based tipple with a reddish hue and subtle citrus taste. If you can’t get Pimms, you can approximate the flavor by mixing one measure of gin, one of Orange Cuacao and one of red Vermouth. Serve over ice.
Step11
If you want to get really fancy with your Pimms, whip up a Wimbledon Cup – a variation on the salad-like Pimm’s Cup. Salad like? Yes Siree! As well as alcohol and lemonade, the brew contains mint and borage leaves, wedges of cucumber and slices of lemon, orange and strawberry. To make your own Wimbledon Cup you’ll need equal amounts of Pimm’s No. 1, gin, mandarin or sweet orange juice and heavy cream, as well as half of the same measure you used for the other ingredients, of strawberry syrup. Toss it all together, chill, shake, strain and serve.
Step12
As you swill back the Pimms look out for some fast and unpredictable play. That’s because while most tennis in the US is played on clay or hard courts -- cement or asphalt – Wimbledon is a one of the few remaining great grass courts. Grass is a fast surface and causes low ball bounces, which keep rallies short, giving hard-serving and hard-hitting players an advantage. Grass can also throw up unpredictable ball bounces. To handle the surface you will see players at Wimbledon wear special grass-court shoes which are designed to grip the surface and prevent sliding.
Step13
Don’t know who to root for? If you’re feeling generous and sentimental, you might want to cheer on the Brits since they need all the help they can get! Although they’ve hosted the tournament since 1877, no British man has won the singles event there since Fred Perry in 1936, and no British woman since Virginia Wade in 1977. Ah shucks!

Tips & Warnings

  • Fun fact: Approximately 60,000 pounds of strawberries and 1,850 gallons of cream are sold each year during the Wimbledon Championships.
  • History note: Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament in the world. The tournament was first played in 1877. Then, the only event held was the Gentlemen's Singles competition. Ladies' Singles and Gentlemen's Doubles were added in 1884, and Ladies' Doubles and Mixed Doubles were added in 1913.

Post a Comment

POST A COMMENT

Request a New How-To Article

Looking for more How To information? Chances are there’s an eHow member who knows how to do what you’re looking to do. Submit an article request now!

eHow Article:  How to Follow Wimbledon

eHow Member: John O'Mahony

John O'Mahony

Authority Authority | 4480 Points

Category: Sports & Fitness

Articles: See my other articles

Related Ads

Sports & Fitness

JoeRivera
Meet Joe Rivera eHow’s Sports & Fitness Expert.