Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Serving up a treat
HOW fortunate we are to live in a country where for two weeks every year it’s perfectly acceptable, in fact expected, to sit around watching daytime telly while scoffing strawberries, cream and Pimm’s. What a time to be alive! And with defending champion Andy Murray opening play on Centre Court today against Alexander Bublik, you won’t want to miss the first day of the 2017 Wimbledon Championships. Andy won his second men’s singles title last year following a brilliant victory over Canada’s Milos Raonic. As Wimbledon starts, he is number 1 seed, with his biggest threats likely to be second seed Novak Djokovic, third seed Roger Federer and fourth seed Rafael Nadal. Defending ladies’ singles champion Serena Williams will be absent due to her pregnancy (you might have guessed if you saw that cover of Vanity Fair), meaning the field is wide open. Sue Barker introduces live coverage beginning on BBC2 at 11.30am, then switching to BBC1 at 1.45pm, with Clare Balding stepping in for a highlights show at 8.30pm on BBC2. A huge cast of tennis legends – including Boris Becker, John Mcenroe, Martina Navratilova, and Tim Henman – will be on air to lend their expert punditry to a fascinating selection of opening round matches in SW19. Could anyone emulate Brit Marcus Willis’s sensational display last year in which the then world-ranked number 772 knocked out world number 54 Ricardas Berankis? But, of course, there’s much more to Wimbledon than just the tennis, such as which Hollywood actors and members of the Royal Family will be turning up in all their finery? And who will be the first to have a fight with an umpire? Everything’s to play for.