Wimbledon 2015 Live Online

About Wimbledon

Wimbledon is and will remain the largest of the four Grand Slams. Actually it is one of the most prestigious sporting events in the world. Since the start of the tournament in 1877 the white clothes, the traditions, the champagne and the strawberries on the side have helped to fascinate people from all over the world. Both in the legendary All England Lawn Tennis And Croquet Club and in the Murray Mountain, as the hill outside the famous stadium are called, millions of people gather every year to follow the white dressed players as they battle for the title, the honor and the royal handshake of the Duchess of Kent. Whether or not you are a tennis fan, even people of the higher class zip it when the announcer says “”quiet, please””. In Wimbledon, things are as they always have been. From game rules to the court, which is still grass. Through more than 130 years, it is mainly the nets height that has changed.

The rain

One of the tournament’s biggest features is the rain. Every year, matches are delayed or canceled because of the rainy weather, which has helped to provide a charming unpredictability to the tournament. In 2009 a roof was installed on the Centre Court. This meant that Wimbledon’s main course was no longer required to let the weather dictate whether champions could play tennis or not. The same year the final between Roger Federer and Andy Murray was the first, which was played partly covered. The track was originally named for the simple reason that the other lanes were built around it, so it was in the middle. It is the only one that has a roof, that is why the rains continues to play an important role.

11 hours and five minutes

In 2010, John Isner from USA and Frenchman Nicolas Mahut stole the headlines and tennis lovers hearts when they played the longest match ever. An impressive 11 hours and five minutes, spread over three days, wherein they both refused to give up. The match was interrupted twice. And for once, there was no real talk about the rain, but simply that it was too dark to continue. Eventually the American emerged victorious in the showdown and won the fifth set with the digits 70-68. He was sent to the locker room with a smile and a comment from the announcer that he also had a double match in half an hour. In Wimbledon, the games are played without tiebreak and it must be won by two excess points. It has given some ferocious showdowns over time, but then no one can match the marathon match from 2010.

Federer and Nadal

Until then, the longest battle in tennis history had been the 2008 Wimbledon final. It happened between Rafael Nadal and Wimbledon darling, Roger Federer. It was the third consecutive time that the two top players had to meet each other in final match on Centre Court. The previous two had ended with Federer as the winner, which at the time had given him five victories in a row. It was a performance that had only been achieved by a certain long-haired Swedish player with headband and a underwear brand. While darkness creeped into the court, the two fighting cocks continued to push each other to the limit and kept treating the crowd with amazing tennis. But after four hours and 48 minutes of play Nadal could throw himself onto the grass as this year’s champion after what is considered as the world’s best tennis match ever. Subsequently, Roger Federer won Wimbledon two times more. With the victory in 2012 he equaled Pete Sampras’s record of seven wins. The two share the record for most victories in total.