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June 7, 2005

Anyone for tennis?

All about the world's most famous tennis championships

Local stars
How will the Thai stars fare at Wimbledon this year? Asia's No. 1 Paradorn Srichaphan's best performance was reaching the fourth round in 2003, and he did knock out Andre Agassi the year before.
Grass seems to be Tamarine Tanasugarn's favourite surface - she has reached the fourth round five times at the championships. How do you think they will perform this year? Who will get the furthest, Ball or Tammy?

For two weeks at the end of this month, the eyes of the sporting world will turn to a small district in London for the oldest and best-known tennis tournament in the game. It's time for Wimbledon!

The home of the tournament, and the game itself, is the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, South London. It was originally just a club where you could play croquet - a game in which players use a big wooden club to hit coloured balls through hoops on the grass - until in 1875, a new game was introduced: lawn tennis.

Two years later the very first championships were held, with just one event - Gentlemen's Singles. A man named Spencer Gore was the first ever winner and so began a line of champions stretching over 120 years to the present day.

Welcoming the women

Unlike some sports, tennis was quick to include women as well as men, and Maud Watson won the first Ladies' Singles tournament in 1884. That same year also saw the first Doubles event.

Surprisingly, the rules of the game have changed very little in the last 125 years. The court is now a little longer, and the height of the net has changed, but the basic rules of the game have stayed the same. It has always been a great spectator-sport too - from the 200 people who saw Spencer lift that first trophy to the millions around the world who will watch this year's final on TV.

So, who are those who have followed in Spencer and Maud's footsteps? The tournament now attracts players from over 60 countries, but it was almost 30 years after that first final before anyone from outside Britain was to take the title.

An American woman called May Sutton and an Australian, Norman Brookes, were the first overseas winners at Wimbledon, in 1905 and 1907, respectively. Amazingly, and much to the distress of home crowds, only two further British men have managed to win the Men's Singles since that first Australian triumph.

The last time was back in 1936, when the event was won by a man now much more famous for his sportswear company: Fred Perry. The British women have fared a little better, with five female champions in the last 100 years, but none for over 25 years.

Legends of the game

The Wimbledon Championships, then, have long had a truly international feel, and many players from around the world have graced the famous Centre Court.

However, only a few have been so dominant on the grass that they became known as legends of the game and the tournament. Among the men, Bjorn Borg is possibly the most famous, and arguably the greatest player ever.

This super Swede, instantly recognisable with his blond hair and white headband, won five Men's Singles titles in a row from 1976 to 1980, with a style many believed wasn't suitable for grass.

The only other player to show such consistency at the championships was "Rocket" Rod Laver, who reached six consecutive finals starting in 1968. In the modern era that Laver's aggressive serve-and-volley style heralded, one name truly stands out: "Pistol" Pete Sampras, winner of seven titles in total.

From shorts to skirts, and one name stands above almost all others in Wimbledon Women's history. Czech-born Martina Navratilova won nine Ladies' Singles, and including her Doubles successes, an amazing 20 titles overall. It's hard to believe, but she grew up without learning to play on grass, and only had one week to get used to the surface before her first Wimbledon tournament in 1973.

Martina's only rival for the title of greatest Wimbledon Ladies player ever is Billie Jean King. Also a winner of 20 titles, including six Ladies' Singles crowns, American Billie Jean played at the championships 22 times.

Other players who have delighted the crowds at Wimbledon are the young champion Boris Becker, who won on his first visit as an unseeded 17-year-old; John McEnroe, with his wild hair and colourful language, who refused to accept the umpires' decisions; and Australian Pat Cash, who climbed into the stands to hug his family and coach after winning the title.

A unique tournament

However, it's not just the players on the courts who make the championship; Wimbledon has some other special qualities. There's the fashionable food of the Championships - strawberries and cream; there are the celebrities in the crowd, and the royals in their box.

There are the scurrying ball boys and girls, who have to train eight hours a week for four months before the tournament, and there's Henman Hill where fans without tickets can watch on a big screen. And, of course, there's the regular uninvited guest - the English rain! So be sure to check out London SW19 from June 20 for a taste of the greatest tournament in tennis. Just don't forget to wear white!

Reading skills

Can you find the answers to these questions in the text?
1. In which year did Spencer Gore win Wimbledon?
2. Which new events were introduced in 1884?
3. Which has been seen more recently - a male or a female British singles champion?
4. Who has won more Ladies' Singles titles, Navratilova or King?
5. What often comes to Wimbledon, but never has a ticket?

Vocabulary

The words in bold in the article are often used in connection with tennis. Can you match them to the correct definition below?
1. The way a player plays the game (noun).
2. The area the game is played on (noun).
3. Not thought to have a chance of winning, based on past performance (adjective).
4. The type of material the game is played on, e.g., clay (noun).
5. A sport that is good to watch as well as play (compound noun).
6. Being known as champion (noun).
7. The referees (noun).

Know your tennis?

How good is your tennis knowledge?
1. The Wimbledon title is one of four that makes up the Grand Slam. What are the other three?
2. Who won last year's Men's and Ladies' Singles at Wimbledon?
3. When is a tie-break used to decide a set?

ANSWERS

Reading skills:
1. 1877.
2. The Ladies' Singles and Men's Doubles.
3. A Ladies' Champion.
4. Martina Navratilova (nine titles).
5. The rain!

Vocabulary

1. Style.
2. Court.
3. Unseeded.
4. Surface.
5. Spectator sport.
6. Title.
7. Umpires.

Know your tennis?

1. The French Open, the US Open and the Australian Open.
2. Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova.
3. When the score in games reaches 6-6, but never in the last deciding set.

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