The Grass Court Tennis Season in full swing

A brief visit to Surbiton in Surrey for the first of the season’s Grass court tennis tournaments saw me to watching Andy Murray play Brouha from the Netherlands whom he beat in the quarter finals which unwittingly gave me my first taste of live tennis after a couple of year’s relying on televised matches, and an idea of what was to come the following week for the start of Queen’s club ‘cinch’ tournament that had already announced a stellar line-up including defending champion Matteo Berrettini. The building of the tournament starts end of April and facilities for members including parking are gradually taken are taken away and one of the many reasons to avoid the club during this period other than to play the odd game of tennis even then that’s a bit of a hazard as we negotiate our way to the  grass courts through something that appears more like a bomb site.

This year I decided to pick up my accreditation early and watch some of the qualifying matches as players battle it out for place in the main draw. Some matches are as exciting as those in the main draw!  My media pass enabled me to enter the club from the secret back door which leads into indoor courts 7 and 8 and normally never used. This is where players are dropped off and picked up after matches, away from the scrutiny of the pubic eye. Each day I would use this entrance with my media pass at the ready and walk through the Players Lounge, occasionally stopping for a quick chat with whoever I happen to bump into on my way to the Media Centre. The two courts are transformed into marquee type tent with a large comfortable lounge, several sofas and TVs, a couple of ping pong tables and physio rooms, and of course a restaurant area.

Throughout the week the tournaments produced some of the most exciting three setter matches with the likes of several top Brits in the maindraw including Andy Murray, Dan Evens and Cam Norrie but expectations of Norrie winning the tournament or at least reaching the finals were not to be with defending champion Berrittini playing the finals against Filip Krajinović.

On finals day I arrived early in order to bag a couple of courtside unreserved seats exclusive for members, for me and a friend from LA,  who had a ticket tor the stand opposite but sadly was unable to join me as hoped as she’s not a member. With an empty seat next to me, I was soon asked by another club member if his son could sit there which is how I came to meet the delightful Giacomo, a six year old who as it turned out knew a lot more about tennis than most six year olds, and surprisingly a source of entertainment throughout the match. When he sat down next to me with his hoddie almost covering his eyes I felt he was making a statement, (I don’t want to be hear) but after gently asking him who he wanted to win to which he replied  ‘Matteo’ I realised this kid knew a lot about tennis. By this time Berritini was about to serve our end of the court with his black towel box was almost directly in front of us much to the delight of my new companion. To keep him amused I then asked him where he thought Berrettini’s would aim his serve, to the forehand, backhand or down the line? Much to my astonishment, he replied,  ‘Wide’ ! For the next hour or so my six year old companion kept me constantly amused and bemused with his almost adult banter and each time his hero sauntered over to the towel box, which he did regularly, this six year whose little legs hardly reached the ground as he sat on his chair, would watched in total awe. As it turned out Giacomo is a Dukes Meadows under six champion and his knowledge of the game outstanding. After the match, with Berrettini beat Krajinović 7.5, 6-4, I pointed to the clock timing the match and told my little companion the match had lasted an hour and forty-seven minutes to which he replied, looking very seriously at me, ‘do you mean to say I have been sitting here for one hour and forty-seven minutes!’ I laughed and then told him how much I had enjoyed his company!