I’ve been venturing further afield at the Club every day.
Today I managed to change postcode as I made it as far as the practice courts, technically in SW18 in Southfields rather than Wimbledon’s SW19. Not everyone knows that the courts, tucked away behind the Aorangi Pavilion, exist.
Andy Murray and doubles partners Jay Clarke and Marcus Willis have been making good use of these courts over the last week or two.
It’s one way to tell your mates you saw play on No.1 Court in Wimbledon as, if you’re in the Grounds, you can watch play on practice courts 1-5 without a ticket.
A highlight for Justin, who’s in charge of booking players in to the courts, has been watching his childhood hero Andre Agassi working out and seeing Murray helping the juniors practice.
“It gave the place a bit of a buzz,” he admits. “But it was a light work-out, just a bit of fun.”
Justin tells me this is a superlative spot for fans to bag themselves an autograph from players walking in and out.
Afterwards, I make it to the other side of Church Road, back in Wimbledon, returning to fetch my jacket which I left in the basket on my bike like last year. Once again, it is still sitting there. Just a stone’s throw away, the police are marking bicycles on request with indelible ink and a sticker.
I get talking to two pairs of cyclists, both with a child working at the Championships. Jenny and Chris from Chiswick’s daughter is a producer for Eurosport. Brian and Maureen from Edinburgh’s son, Stuart, is part of the construction team putting up the new roof on No.1 Court.
Looking out the forecast window now, I can see the jutting spars of the superstructure on that court showing the work in progress.
Word is that the roof will be ready for the 2019 Championships. That doesn’t really feel so far away, as incredibly, we’re at Day 10 already this year.
