Let's talk about: Wimbledon

With the Wimbledon tennis tournament starting up today I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the event. 

Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, established in 1877. 

When it was first started the entry fee was just one shilling. Right now tickets range (based on day and event) from 375 pounds to just under 4,000 pounds.

 

It is named after the London suburb where it first started. 

Wimbledon takes place every summer in late June through early July for two weeks. 

It is held at the All-England Club. The All-England Club is an exclusive members only club.

 

To become a player in Wimbledon you are entered or "seeded" into Wimbledon based on your international ranking. They make sure that the highest ranking players do not play against each other until the last rounds of the tournament. The committee also selects a 'wild card' player that doesn't necessarily qualify by rank. In 2001, a wild card player actually won the Gentleman's Singles Championship.

I didn't know much about tennis so I read up a bit on the ranking and points for this well known competition. 

"Game, set, and match" refers to the scoring system in tennis.

The first point in a game of tennis is 15. Then it goes to 30. The following point is 40. 

To win a game, a player must score four points. (15-0, 30-0, 40-0, and then game)

To win a set, you must win six games. 

To win a match, you must win either two (sometimes three) sets. 

A score of zero is called love.

If both players win three points each (40-40) it is called deuce. The winner would then be the first player to win two points in a row at this point. 

The longest played match was in 2010.  It was played over three days. 

The shortest match was in 1881 and lasted just 37 minutes.

he longest match played at SW19 was in 2010 on Court 18. It was played over three days. - See more at: http://www.mid-day.com/articles/wimbledon-2015-interesting-facts-stats-and-a-little-bit-of-history/16323168#sthash.ilaJD2Tc.dpuf

In 1877, the winner's prize was 12 guineas (equal to 12 British pounds). This year the winners of the women and men singles events will take home 1.88 million pounds each.

 Because the month of June is so close to the English strawberry season, strawberries and cream have become a staple of Wimbledon. Every year around 28,000 kg of strawberries are eaten along with 7,000 liters of cream!

Wimbledon maintains a strict dress code. Players are required to dress almost entirely in white with the only exception being logos, trim and accessories such as headbands. 

Wimbledon has some interesting royal ties. King George the sixth (father of Queen Elizabeth the 2nd) was a competitor in the 1926 men's doubles tournament, the only Royal to ever compete. He and his partner lost.

The All-England Club also receives patronage from the Queen herself and her cousin, Prince Edward.

 

During World War 2, Wimbledon was cancelled and the grounds became a temporary farmyard stocked with rabbits, pigs, and chickens. On October 11, 1940, German bombs struck a corner of the Center Court and destroyed 1,200 seats. When Wimbledon resumed play in 1946, the seats remained out of commission and the grounds were not completely repaired until 1949. 

No tennis is played on Wimbledon's first Sunday. 

It is tradition to stop play on the first Sunday of the tournament, making Wimbledon the only one of the four Grand Slam tournaments to have a day off in the middle of the championships. 

But in 1991, 1997, and 2004 rain caused a backlog on the schedule so that they had to break tradition and play matches on the first Sunday.

he longest match played at SW19 was in 2010 on Court 18. It was played over three days. - See more at: http://www.mid-day.com/articles/wimbledon-2015-interesting-facts-stats-and-a-little-bit-of-history/16323168#sthash.ilaJD2Tc.dpuf

*Do you watch Wimbledon? 

*Do you have favorite players?