Wimbledon 2015 in Pictures – Part 2

Here are more pictures from the 2-week-long adventure called Wimbledon.
In case you missed it, click here for Part 1.

Here how calm and peaceful Wimbledon can be in the morning before the gates open.
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Yet, here is how hectic and crowded it can also get during the day
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Fans can go to Aorangi Park tennis courts, adjacent to regular match courts, and see world-class players practice. Some of the courts are visible to ticket holders, others are too far back. Couple of those courts are right next to where tennis fans can watch them up close from a platform (such as the one with Fognini and Bolelli below).

Aorangi Park courts. Seppi and Federer are practicing in the middle court, Sabine Lisicki to the left.
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Fognini and Bolelli were not exactly painting the portrait of an intense practice session..
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Once you begin to explore the grounds, you slowly realize what a beautiful place it is and how big a role it plays in the history of our beautiful sport. Here are some examples…

Here is a view of Court 14 below, with Court 1 on the right, and Henman Hill in the background.
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If you have a Court 1 ticket, you get treated to this beautiful view.
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When the rain comes, the courts get covered in about 2 min 30 seconds (I timed it three times, that was the average). That is from the time they line up to pull the covers back, to the time they secure the covers to the sides.
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Then, there is of course, Centre Court, roughly 4 years older than Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II.
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But my advice to you, don’t get stuck in the big show courts and miss out on everything that you can see in and around the outside courts. In the show courts, the best players in the world showcase their talent. On the grounds, and around the outside courts, Wimbledon showcases history.

For example, the last British man to win Wimbledon prior to Andy Murray (in 1936) welcomes you if you enter through Gate 4. One of my favorite art pieces on the grounds.
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Once inside, you can visit the Lawn Tennis Museum.
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Or simply shop for Wimbledon souvenirs. If you are an American, I would urge you not to convert pounds to dollars in your head if you don’t want to ruin your shopping experience!
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However, there is one place you will not get to see: the Clubhouse of the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club. Only members are allowed through that door, even during the tournament.
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The skies often turned gray during the two weeks…
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… but rarely did we have rain delays, and if we did, there were short like this one during the match between Roger Federer and Gilles Simon.
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The groundskeepers and maintenance crews do the best they can do maintain the courts

But you can only delay the inevitable for s long. In the first week, courts slowly began to lose their “pure green” color. Below is a series of photos of the progressive wear and tear on the courts, throughout the two weeks.

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Hey, look at it half-glass full. Service lines are hanging in there just fine. Where have all the serve-and-volleyers gone (with a deep sigh)?————

In the meantime, competition continued all over the outside courts.

You can see some players, such as Malek Jaziri here, put on some dance moves (!)
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On Court 2, Marsel Ilhan came close to going 2 sets up on Kevin Anderson (led a set and 6-3 in the second-set tiebreaker)
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On smaller courts, you are next to the action, although it can get a bit crowded..
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You can also walk up and ask your favorite player for an autograph, such as this Australian fan who asks one from Sam Groth after his first-round win.
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Sometimes players such as Timea Bacsinszky can get overwhelmed by the amount of fans as she exits the court.
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Random fictitious caption ==> Bacsinszky: “I am suffocating!!! Get. Me. Out. Of. Here. PLEASE..!” – The girl in pink on the right: “Oh God! Is she going to pass out?” – The little girl in the back: “Mommy mommy, what was wrong with her? She did not sign my ball!”
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