Wimbledon Village was buzzing the other night. Normally quiet and sedate with upscale shops selling conservative merchandise, during The Championships it becomes a hot spot of activity. Fans, players, media, tournament staff, everyone is out and about seeing and being seen. The Dog and Fox pub was packed and is always a good time. I headed to Hemmingways which is a little more upscale and not quite such a mob scene, plus they make the best watermelon martini’s ever! The music was pounding and the sidewalk tables full. I ran into Wayne Ferriera, who is playing in the Gentlemen’s Invatational with Yevgny Kafelnikov. That should be fun. I told him I’d come by his next match and do a few snaps.
After a couple of the famous melon drinks, we were fortified enough to hit the other pubs on the High Street. One block down the street, we squeezed into the back garden at the Rose and Crown where they searched our bags and warned against taking photos before they let us in. What’s up with that? Is this cute little Wimbledon Village or the East Village in NYC? Well, we passed inspection and stayed for a larger and lime. Haven’t tried this combination? Light lager with a shot of roses lime juice. Great and refreshing. By this time we were ready to join the pressing crowds at the Dog and Fox. It’s always so crowded you can barely move, but maybe that’s the appeal. We ran into a couple of our media pals there, had a couple more lager and limes and decided we needed food. Since all the restaurants in the Village were closed by this time, we grabbed a cab and went to Southfields for a quick snack at the Curry House.
This is always my late night choice. My friend Amerish owns it and no matter what time I show up, he will always feed me. Of course you can’t have your heart set on any particular style of cuisine. This year it happens to be Indian, last year it was Tapa’s, the year before a martini bar with appetizers and pasta. No matter late at night in Wimbledon you are happy with what ever you can get.
So, shall I talk a little about Federer now? The tennis god has been proven to be mortal, just liked the rest of us. I was up close and personal in the photo pit and even though the Swiss was an odds-on favorite, it became obvious from the start that this might be a much tougher match for him to pull of than anyone thought. The big guy from Czech Republic looked hungry and out to prove himself, while the legend looked frustrated and grim.
Berdych, who has lost the last eight times he’s met Roger, wasn’t a bit intimidated, pounding balls to the defending champion’s backhand, showing no mercy. The Czech is firing ground strokes from the baseline so hard you expect the cover to fly off the ball any minute. From where I’m sitting you can hear the ball hitting his strings, POW, POW POW! My word, Roger’s more elegant Wimbledon game suddenly didn’t look so threatening.
By now everyone knows the result and frankly although photographers are not allowed into the press conference here, I read the transcript and it wasn’t pretty. A couple of quotes you might find interesting.
“I couldn’t play the way I wanted to play,” said Federer, “You know I am struggling with a little bit of a back and a leg issue. That just doesn’t quite allow me to play the way I would like to play.
To which Berdych replied in his later press conference. “I don’t know if he is just looking for some excuses after the match or something like that,”… “You know, I think he is ready every time he plays, I think he was 100% ready.”
Hmmmm interesting huh?
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Cynthia
Cynthia Lum is one of the world’s most celebrated sports photographers and has traveled the world covering all the major tennis events for 18 years. In addition to tennis she is currently shooting horse racing, golf, surfing, and beach volleyball. Visit her on-line photo archive at www.cynthialum.com where her photos are for sale for professional and personal use. She is available for hire for corporate and editorial clients. She is based in Hermosa Beach, Calif.