The Party's Over

Yep, the Wimbledon Party is over for Andy and James.

I was on my way for a quick bite to eat around 4PM, thought... hmmm better check on James match first … OH MY WORD... he is just starting the fifth set. Forget lunch. I start fast hiking over to court 3, plotting how I’m going to get on the court. This is the worst court for photographers on the site. It’s a very popular show court with limited seating and narrow walkways on both sides. The fans are always packed in as tight as hot dogs packaged in shrink wrap, and aren’t about to let a 5’2’ girl push her way to the front. Then … yes!! A tall German photographer pushed past me... perfect… I stuck close, acted like I was attached to him while he made his way through the crowd to the court. There were a few disgruntled fans, but sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do.

Its 3 all and we can’t go on court until they change ends, so we kneel on the concrete (Ouch) next to the security guard.

Schuettler wins the 7^th game, and we make our way onto the grass. It’s damp and there are no benches. Not comfortable. This is what we go through to record these great moments in Tennis!

James evens the score to 4 all. Schuettler wins his serve and goes up 5-4. They change ends again, and I follow Blake to the other end. Now Blake is serving to stay in the match. I’m as nervous as him. I’m having a hard time concentrating on shooting. Oh no. Schuettler has a match point... James makes a save, and we are back to deuce. Uh Oh, Schuettler makes the point and has another match point; James makes another save, back to deuce. I’m shooting with a long lens and I can see the tension on James face. Schuettler wins the deuce, and has a third match point, he wins the point and it’s all over. James looks so miserable I can barely look at him, but I know I’m going to need this photo so I snap off a couple of frames and move on to the Roddick match.

It’s turned cold, dark and windy. I’m wearing my cute little Roxy beach girl jacket that is not even close to warm enough. Must try to remember that clothing I think is warm in California is not going to do anything about keeping me from freezing here.

Tipsarevic, the tattooed Serbian, is up two sets to one, they are just starting the 4^th. Andy is visibly unhappy. Talking to himself … not to kindly I might add, looking to the heavens for help, and having verbal confrontations with Serbian fans.

The set is close, 1-1, 2-2, 3-3, 4-4, 5-5, and finally 6-6. They start the tiebreaker. I can’t take this, another of our Davis Cup guys making me catch my breath. Come on Arod, you are not going out in the second round! Andy wins the first point of the tiebreak, and I think, ok he’s going to be ok. But in the end, Janko wins the breaker, falls to the ground, raises a fist to the players box, throws his arms overhead with a huge grin, and a very disappointed Roddick exit’s the gentlemen’s singles.

Roddick to reporter in the post match press conference:

“Any chance I got I pretty much just choked it. So you know, that’s tough to deal with, “

“It’s not an easy thing to say, but it’s pretty much what happened. I could sit here and try to dance around it all night, but, I mean, you guys watched it. It was what it was. It’s like you want something so bad you almost squeeze too tight.”

And this was something that Andy wanted badly. When ask how much he wanted this, he replied, “It’s almost at this point win another slam or what. You know, that’s also a tough... you know, it’s a tough thing to kind of deal with. “Either you win another slam or what, you’re disappointing?”

This was Roddick’s earliest loss here, and distraught is probably the best word to describe his feelings right now. However, disappointing because he has “only” won one slam? I don’t think so. Maybe American fans need to take a lesson from the Brits who cheer and support their players even though they have never won a slam. Roddick has been the heart of our Davis Cup team and had a large part in our win last year. Let’s not let him think he is disappointing because he has only won one slam.

On a brighter note, Andy Murray thrilled British fans serving up and Ace on match point to defeat Xavier Malisse in straight sets to move into the third round.

And last but not least… a little humor to end the day… met “The Boys from Kent” as they call themselves, having a wonderful time at the Championships. I ask them what players they were supposed to be… I thought the one with the blond wig might be trying for a Bjorn Borg look.. and they replied... They just decided to dress up for a bit of fun and they represented “all players”.