Wimbledon Diary: Monday 25 June

 

Originally published on: 26/06/12 00:00

Just a minute
Play started at 11.30am on the outside courts – 30 minutes earlier than in previous years. For a moment, we wondered if we were at Roland Garros as beautiful people flooded into the All England Club fashionably late.

Race to the finish
American Ryan Sweeting was the first player to book his place in the second round just one hour after play officially started when Potito Starace retired hurt.

Ouch! I’m outta’ here
Mr Starace wasn’t alone. There were five retirements on Monday – Eleni Daniilidou, Paul-Henri Mathieu, Sergiy Stakhovsky, Filippo Volandri and the aforementioned Italian.

“I won’t let the sun go down on me”
Venus Williams was handed her first opening round defeat at the All England Club since losing to Polish player Magdalena Grzybowska as a 17-year-old back in 1997. There’s no time to be negative though, insisted the gritty American, who said of her abilities: “If the sun comes up I have a chance.”

Long legs are not always best
Maria Sharapova, who took a flight to Spain the day after winning the French Open, says she ended up with bruises on her knees because of a lack of leg-room on the plane. It’s tough at the top.

Pampered pets
Novak Djokovic’s revelation that he is in Wimbledon with his girlfriend and a gluten-free fluffy toy poodle called Pierre who has a French name, was bought in Germany and has three passports, was almost more information than we could bear.

“Evenin’ all”
Appearing for the first time since the incident at Queen’s Club, where he kicked the advertising hoarding and drew blood from a line umpire, David Nalbandian brushed aside his meeting with the local bobby, stating: “I just do my declaration and that’s it."

When world No.1’s collide
Former world No.1 Juan Carlos Ferrero found it tough against current king Novak Djokovic. Asked if he was still enjoying his tennis after losing 6-3 6-3 6-1 to the reigning champion, the legendary Spaniard replied: “Yeah, I think I’m still enjoying it.”

Vamos!
Juan Monaco had a celebratory dinner with good friend Rafael Nadal after beating fellow Argentine Leonardo Mayer to win his first match in five attempts on the grass of SW19.

Caught under the camera
On Court 2, after the Vesnina v Venus match, Colin the cameraman found himself under his camera. Reports confirm he was not wounded and it was simply an accident; there were no Argentinean’s anywhere near him.

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