In for the long haul: Tennis fans brave heat to get hands on first-day tickets
TENNIS fans from as far as the US queued up for more than 70 hours for a chance to get their hands on a ticket for the first day of Wimbledon.
Thousands of hopefuls pitched up at Wimbledon Park over the weekend in the hope of seeing Roger Federer play.
Some fans began queuing on Friday afternoon for the 1,500 show court tickets. Despite Andy Murray pulling out at the last minute, authorities estimated there were 300 more fans in line at 9pm last night compared to the year before.
First in the queue was University of Aberdeen graduate Darius Platt-Vowles, 24. He slept in his car on Thursday night before pitching his tent at 2pm on Friday. Mr Platt-Vowles, from Gloucestershire, who has camped in the queue every year since 2012, is excited to see Federer and Rafael Nadal. He told the Standard: “I did expect to be first. None of my friends think I’m bonkers — it’s in line with my standard degree of bonkerness.”
American LSE summer school students Ward Hanser, 19, Jeanette Yan, 21, and Elizabeth Costa, 22, joined the queue at 7pm yesterday. They did not bring tents due to the sunny forecast. Mr Hanser, from Missouri, said: “Wimbledon is the best tennis in the world.”
Twins Abigail and Rosalind Helsby, 16, were queuing with their friend Emily Dougans, also 16. Abigail, from Woking in Surrey, said: “It won’t be the same without Murray.” Scientist Sarah Cassidy Seyoum, 24, who arrived at 1pm on Saturday to see Federer, said: “I think it will be hard for Murray to come back — a hip injury is tricky. I hope he does for the sake of the game.”
Friends Georgia Wilson, 25, Sherridan Molloy, 28, Helen Bennett, 26, and Emma Howe, 26, got there at 5am yesterday, and plan to rejoin the queue this evening to get tickets for Serena Williams. Ms Bennett, a dietician from Leeds, said:
“It is sad there is no Murray.”
Experts say it could be the hottest competition in the tournament’s 141year history. Tennis fans were today basking in temperatures of up to 27C. The Met Office predicted virtually uninterrupted sunshine for the week, with temperatures between 24C and 27C. The mercury is expected to soar to 28C at the weekend. Forecaster Steven Keats said: “This week is looking very promising for players and spectators alike.”