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The Championships, Wimbledon

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Sports events

                                                         Wimbledon logo
                                                           Grand Slams
                                                         * Australian Open
                                                         * French Open
                                                         * Wimbledon
                                                         * U.S. Open

   The Championships, Wimbledon, commonly referred to as simply
   "Wimbledon", is the oldest and arguably the most prestigious event in
   the sport of tennis. Held every June and July in London, United
   Kingdom, the tournament is the third Grand Slam event played each year,
   preceded by the Australian Open and the French Open, and followed by
   the U.S. Open. The tournament lasts for two weeks, subject to
   extensions for rain, and is the only Grand Slam event currently played
   on grass surface (although there are other surfaces played on in the
   tournaments as well, such as Queens and Halle) .

   Separate tournaments are simultaneously held, all at the same venue,
   for Gentlemen's Singles, Ladies' Singles, Gentlemen's Doubles, Ladies'
   Doubles and Mixed Doubles. Youth tournaments — Boys' Singles, Girls'
   Singles, Boys' Doubles and Girls' Doubles — are also held.
   Additionally, special invitational tournaments are held: the 35 and
   over Gentlemen's Doubles, 45 and over Gentlemen's Doubles, 35 and over
   Ladies' Doubles and wheelchair doubles.

History

   Sébastien Grosjean takes a shot on Court 18 during the 2004
   championships
   Enlarge
   Sébastien Grosjean takes a shot on Court 18 during the 2004
   championships

   The Championships were first played under the control of the All
   England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in 1877 at a ground near Worple
   Road, Wimbledon; the only event held was Gentlemen's Singles. In 1884,
   the All England Club added Ladies' Singles and Gentlemen's Doubles.
   Ladies' Doubles and Mixed Doubles were added in 1913. The Championships
   moved to their present location, at a ground near Church Road, in 1922.
   As with the other three Grand Slam events, Wimbledon was contested by
   top-ranked amateur players until the advent of the open era in tennis
   in 1968. Britons are very proud of the tournament but it is a source of
   national anguish and humour — no British man has won the singles event
   at Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936, and no British woman since
   Virginia Wade in 1977.

Events

   There are five main events held at Wimbledon: Gentlemen's Singles,
   Ladies' Singles, Gentlemen's Doubles, Ladies' Doubles and Mixed
   Doubles. In addition, four events are held for juniors: Boys' Singles,
   Girls' Singles, Boys' Doubles and Girls' Doubles. (The Mixed Doubles
   event is not held at the junior level.) Finally, four invitational
   events are held: the 35 and over Gentlemen's Invitation Doubles, the 45
   and over Gentlemen's Invitation Doubles, the 35 and over Ladies'
   Invitation Doubles and the Wheelchair Gentlemen's Invitation Doubles.

   Matches in the Gentlemen's Singles and Gentlemen's Doubles competitions
   are best-of-five sets; matches in all other events are best-of-three
   sets. Most events are single-elimination tournaments; in other words, a
   player who loses a single match is immediately eliminated from the
   tournament. However, the 35 and over Gentlemen's Invitation Doubles and
   the 35 and over Ladies' Invitation Doubles are both round-robin
   tournaments.

   Up until 1921, the winners of the previous year's competition (except
   in the Ladies Doubles and Mixed Doubles) were automatically granted
   byes into the final round (then known as the challenge round.) This led
   to many winners retaining their titles for successive years, as they
   were able to rest while their opponent competed from the start of the
   competition. From 1922, the title holders played through from the start
   of the championships.

   Each year, the tournament begins on the Monday falling between 20 and
   26 June (six weeks before the first Monday in August). It is held two
   weeks after the Queen's Club Championships, which are considered the
   major warm-up for Wimbledon for male players. Another important warm-up
   tournament for the men is the Gerry Weber Open, which is held in Halle,
   Germany at about the same time as the Queen's Club Championships.
   Wimbledon usually lasts for two weeks; the main events span both weeks,
   but the junior and invitational events are for the most part held
   during the second week. Traditionally, there is no play on the "Middle
   Sunday", which is considered a rest day. However, rain has forced play
   on the Middle Sunday thrice in the Championship's history: in 1991,
   1997, and 2004. On each of these occasions, Wimbledon has staged a
   "People's Sunday", with unreserved seating and readily available,
   inexpensive tickets.

Players and seeding

   A total of 128 players feature in each singles event, 64 pairs in each
   single-sex doubles event, and 48 pairs in Mixed Doubles. Players and
   doubles pairs are admitted to the main events on the basis of their
   international rankings, with consideration also given to their previous
   performances at grasscourt events. Currently 32 male and female players
   are given seedings in the Gentlemen's and Ladies' singles while 16
   teams are seeded in the doubles events.

   The Committee of Management and the Referee evaluate all applications
   for entry, and determine which players may be admitted to the
   tournament directly. The committee may admit a player without a high
   enough ranking as a wild card. Usually, wild cards are players who have
   performed well during previous tournaments, or would stimulate public
   interest in Wimbledon by participating. The only wild card to win the
   Gentlemen's Singles Championship was Goran Ivanisevic ( 2001); no wild
   card has ever won the Ladies' Singles Title. Players and pairs who
   neither have high enough rankings nor receive wild cards may
   participate in a qualifying tournament held one week before Wimbledon
   at the Bank of England Sports Ground in Roehampton. The singles
   qualifying competitions are three-round events; the same-sex doubles
   competitions last for only one round. There is no qualifying tournament
   for Mixed Doubles. No qualifier has won either the Gentlemen's Singles
   or the Ladies' Singles tournaments. The furthest that any qualifier has
   progressed in the main draw of a Singles tournament is the semi-final
   round: John McEnroe in 1977 and Vladimir Voltchkov of Belarus in 2000
   (Gentlemen's Singles), and Alexandra Stevenson in 1999 (Ladies'
   Singles).

   Players are admitted to the junior tournaments upon the recommendations
   of their national tennis associations, on their International Tennis
   Federation world rankings and, in the case of the singles events, on
   the basis of a qualifying competition. The Committee of Management
   determines which players may enter the four invitational events.

   The Committee seeds the top players and pairs (thirty-two players in
   each main singles events, and sixteen pairs in each main doubles event)
   on the basis of their rankings. A majority of the entrants are
   unseeded. Only two unseeded players have ever won the Gentlemen's
   Singles Championship: Boris Becker in 1985 and Goran Ivanisevic in
   2001. No unseeded player has captured the Ladies' Singles title; the
   lowest seeded female champion was Venus Williams, who won in 2005 as
   the fourteenth seed. Unseeded pairs have won the doubles titles on
   numerous occasions; the 2005 Gentlemen's Doubles champions were not
   only unseeded, but also (for the first time ever) qualifiers.

   See article: Women's Seeds at The Championships, Wimbledon

Grounds

   The order of play for all courts is displayed on boards around the
   grounds
   Enlarge
   The order of play for all courts is displayed on boards around the
   grounds

   The nineteen courts used for Wimbledon are all composed purely of rye
   grass. The speed and the low bounce of grass courts favours serve and
   volley players, such as former champions Rod Laver, John McEnroe, Boris
   Becker, Stefan Edberg and Pete Sampras. However, baseliners such as
   Björn Borg have also performed very well, as have all-court players
   like Roger Federer. Among women, the serve and volley strategy has been
   less common since around 1980. One of the few female serve and
   volleyers of the last 25 years, Martina Navrátilová, won the Wimbledon
   singles titles a record nine times.

   The main show courts, Centre Court and No. 1 Court, are normally used
   only for two weeks a year, during the Championships, but play can
   extend into a third week in exceptional circumstances. The remaining
   seventeen courts are regularly used for other events hosted by the All
   England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. The show courts will, however, be
   pressed into action for the second time in three months in 2012 as
   Wimbledon will host the tennis events of the 2012 Olympic Games.

   Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam event played on grass courts. At one
   time, all the other Grand Slam events were played on grass. The French
   Open abandoned grass for its current red clay in 1928, while the U.S.
   and Australian Opens stayed with grass for decades longer. The U.S.
   Open abandoned grass for a synthetic clay surface in 1975 and changed
   again to a hard surface with its 1978 move to its current venue. The
   Australian Open abandoned grass for Rebound Ace, a different type of
   hard surface, in 1988.

   The main court, Centre Court, was opened in 1922 when the All England
   Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club moved from Worple Road to Church Road. Due
   to possibility of rain during Wimbledon, a retractable roof is planned
   for the court, which is expected to be completed in 2009. The court has
   a capacity of almost 14,000. At its south end is the Royal Box, from
   which members of the Royal Family and other dignitaries watch matches.
   Centre Court usually hosts the finals and semifinals of the main
   events, as well as many matches in the earlier rounds involving
   top-seeded players or local favorites.
   No.1 Court
   Enlarge
   No.1 Court

   The second most important court is No. 1 Court. The court was
   constructed in 1997 to replace the old No. 1 Court, which was adjacent
   to Centre Court (similar to how the Grandstand at Flushing Meadows is
   adjacent to Louis Armstrong Stadium). The old No. 1 Court was
   demolished because its capacity for spectators was too low. The court
   was said to have had a unique, more intimate atmosphere and was a
   favourite of many players. The new No. 1 Court has a capacity of
   approximately 11,000. The third-largest court, No. 2 Court, has been
   dubbed the "Graveyard of Champions" due to its reputation as the court
   on which many seeded players have been eliminated during the early
   rounds. Famous players who have lost on the Graveyard during early
   round play include John McEnroe, Pete Sampras, Venus Williams, and
   Serena Williams. The court has a capacity of about 3,000.

   At the northern end of the grounds is a giant television screen on
   which important matches are broadcast. Fans watch from an area of grass
   officially known as Aorangi Park, but more commonly called Henman Hill.
   The "hill" takes its name from local favourite Tim Henman, who many
   fans hope will become the first British man to win the tournament since
   Fred Perry did so in 1936. When other Brits do well at Wimbledon, the
   hill attracts fans for them, and is often re-named by the press for
   them: Greg Rusedski's followers convened at "Rusedski Ridge," and the
   young Scotsman Andy Murray has had the hill nicknamed "Murray Mound,"
   "Mount Murray," or "Murray Field" (after the Scottish rugby stadium).

Traditions

   Court 10 - on the outside courts there is no reserved seating
   Enlarge
   Court 10 - on the outside courts there is no reserved seating
   Evening on the first Friday of the 2004 championships
   Enlarge
   Evening on the first Friday of the 2004 championships
   Men's doubles winners, 2004.
   Enlarge
   Men's doubles winners, 2004.

   Dark green and purple (sometimes also referred to as mauve) are the
   traditional Wimbledon colours. Green apparel was worn by the chair
   umpire, linesmen, ball boys and ball girls through the 2005
   Championships; however, beginning with the 2006 Championships,
   officials, ball boys and ball girls were outfitted in new navy blue and
   cream coloured uniforms from American designer Ralph Lauren. This
   marked the first time in the history of the Championships that an
   outside company was used to design Wimbledon apparel. As of June 2006,
   Wimbledon's contract with Ralph Lauren is set to last until 2009. The
   All England Club requires players to wear "almost entirely white"
   clothing during matches, a reason why a young Andre Agassi boycotted
   the tournament in the early 1990s. No other Grand Slam tournament has
   such a strict dress code for players. During matches, female players
   are always referred to with the title "Miss" or "Mrs". (Formerly,
   married female players were referred to by their husband's names: for
   example, Chris Evert-Lloyd appeared on scoreboards as "Mrs. J. M.
   Lloyd" during her marriage to John M. Lloyd. However, this custom has
   been abandoned.) On the other hand, the title "Mr" is never used for
   male players.

   Previously, players bowed or curtsied to members of the Royal Family
   seated in the Royal Box upon entering or leaving Centre Court. In 2003,
   however, the President of the All England Club, HRH The Duke of Kent,
   decided to discontinue the tradition. Now, players are required to bow
   or curtsy only if the Queen or the Prince of Wales is present.

   For the spectators, strawberries and cream is the traditional snack at
   Wimbledon. Approximately 62,000 pounds of strawberries and 1,540
   gallons of cream are sold each year during the Championships.

   Since 1992, Radio Wimbledon - an on-site radio station with a studio in
   the Centre Court building - has broadcast commentary, music and speech
   from 8am to 10pm daily throughout the championship. They also broadcast
   the draw on the Friday prior to the start of the tournament. Radio
   Wimbledon can be heard within a five-mile radius on 87.7 FM, and also
   online. It operates under a Restricted Service License and is arguably
   the most sophisticated RSL annually in the UK. The main presenters are
   Sam Lloyd and Nick Dye - typically they work alternate four hour shifts
   - reporters and commentators include Gigi Salmon, Nick Lestor, Rupert
   Bell, Nigel Bidmead, Guy Swindells, Lucie Ahl, Nadine Towell and Helen
   Whitaker. Often they will report from the 'Crow's Nest' - an elevated
   building housing the court 2 and 3 scoreboards which affords views of
   most of the outside courts. Regular guests include Sue Mappin. In
   recent years Radio Wimbledon acquired a second low-power FM frequency
   (within the grounds only) of 96.3 FM for uninterrupted Centre Court
   commentary, and, from 2006, a third for coverage from No. 1 Court on
   97.8 FM. Hourly news bulletins and travel (using RDS) are also
   broadcast.

   For over 60 years, the BBC has broadcasted the tournament on television
   in the UK, splitting time for the many matches it covers between its
   two main terrestrial channels, BBC One and BBC Two. During the days of
   British Satellite Broadcasting, its sports channel carried extra
   coverage of Wimbledon for subscribers, and the Beeb annually
   distributes its commercial-free feed to outlets worldwide. Americans
   have made a tradition of NBC's " Breakfast at Wimbledon" specials on
   the weekends, where live coverage starts early in the morning (the US
   being a minimum of 5 hours behind the UK) and continues well into the
   afternoon, interspersed with commentary and interviews from Bud
   Collins, whose tennis acumen and (in)famous patterned pants are
   well-known to tennis fans Stateside.

Trophies and prize money

   The Gentlemen's Singles champion receives a silver gilt cup 18.5 inches
   (about 47 cm) in height and 7.5 inches (about 19 cm) in diameter. The
   trophy has been awarded since 1887. It bears the inscription: "The All
   England Lawn Tennis Club Single Handed Champion of the World." The
   Ladies' Singles champion receives a sterling silver salver commonly
   known as the "Venus Rosewater Dish", or simply the "Rosewater Dish".
   The salver, which is 18.75 inches (about 48 cm) in diameter, is
   decorated with figures from mythology. The winners of the Gentlemen's
   Doubles, Ladies' Doubles, and Mixed Doubles events receive silver cups.
   The runner-up in each event receives an inscribed silver plate. The
   trophies are usually presented by the President of the All England
   Club, The Duke of Kent, and by his sister, Princess Alexandra, The
   Honourable Lady Ogilvy.

   At Wimbledon, more prize money is awarded in the Gentlemen's events
   than in the Ladies' events. The French Open also offered higher prize
   money for men until 2006, when it joined the Australian Open and the
   U.S. Open in offering equal prize money (but only for the Champions).
   In 2005, Wimbledon prize money exceeded £10 million (the exact amount
   was £10,085,510) in total for the first time. The sums awarded to the
   winners of each of the main events in 2006 are as follows (the amounts
   shown for the doubles events are per pair):
     * Gentlemen's Singles: £655,000($1,208,726)
     * Ladies' Singles: £625,000($1,153,386)
     * Gentlemen's Doubles: £220,690($407,265)
     * Ladies' Doubles: £205,280($378,840)
     * Mixed Doubles: £90,000($166,093)

Champions

   See: List of Wimbledon champions
     * Gentlemen's Singles
     * Ladies' Singles
     * Gentlemen's Doubles
     * Ladies' Doubles
     * Mixed Doubles

     * Last British Gentlemen's Singles champion: Fred Perry (1936)
     * Last British Ladies' Singles champion: Virginia Wade (1977)

Records

Record                                           Player                   Titles
Winner of most Gentlemen's Singles Championships William Renshaw, Pete
                                                 Sampras                  7
Winner of most Ladies' Singles Championships     Martina Navrátilová      9
Winner of most Gentlemen's Doubles Championships Todd Woodbridge          9
Winner of most Ladies' Doubles Championships     Elizabeth Ryan           12
Winner of most Mixed Doubles Championships       Elizabeth Ryan           7
Winner of most Championships (total)             Billie Jean King, Martina
                                                 Navrátilová              20

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