A Summer to Remember

WIMBLEDON (tennis ball neon color... appropriate)

(sorry for the lack of updates - the traveling and internet situation has been crazy but i have been blogging on a word doc so I could post them when I had a chance)

We traveled to London for the weekend to go to the biggest event in Tennis... Wimbledon. After a few train rides from Coventry, we made it to the Canning Town stop in London. After arriving late in the afternoon, we had a night out to dinner and pubs at the O2 Arena in Greenwich to celebrate the 4^th of July (upset a few British locals in our path due to the toasting to our great nation which was born from leaving them. A few bar tenders gave us some flack but all in good fun) then went to bed, ready for Wimbledon the next morning. We woke up at the crack of dawn, dresses in our tennis attire and started the train trek out to Wimbledon. As we approached the train stops and changes closer and closer to Wimbledon, you could easily spot the Wimbledon goers. Similar to the Henley Regatta, although not as fancy, people were dressed nicely for the event and it had a regal feel to it. We attended Wimbledon July 5^th, which was the day of the Semifinals for both Women’s Singles and Women’s Doubles. I bought a ticket for Centre Court to witness Serena Williams take down Victoria Azarenka in the most exciting game of tennis I’ve ever seen. Azarenka’s tennis moan is the most outrageous/unnecessary/appropriate-inappropriate thing I have ever witnesses. It has to be fake. There is absolutely no way that it is real. The whole stadium laughed the first time she did it and many times after. I personally think it took her more energy to exert this over the top noise than it actually took to hit the tennis ball. At least Serena’s noises seemed warranted and understandable. I’m not a huge tennis fan but I enjoy an exciting arena with world’s best athletes in that sport and it did not disappoint! I’m glad I was able to buy a ticket for Wimbledon the day before because it was a great day!

After watching the Women’s semifinals and watching Serena dominate Centre Court with her 120mph serves, we watch Serena and Venus compete together in the women’s doubles. It was not a difficult match and the Williams sisters were amazing together on the court. Venus’s volley’s were insane and Serena’s serves continued to stun me! It made me actually want to play tennis for the first time since I quit my tennis lessons in 1^st grade! It was an exciting day to be on the court and to know I got to watch the Wimbledon Women’s winners in both Singles and Doubles. We also saw Andy Murray on the practice courts preparing for his semifinals the following day. He is so tall and his legs were so muscular it was almost scary! He was such a beast during his practice rounds I’m still shocked her did not win Wimbledon but I have to admit I was rooting for Roger Federer. Sorry Andy! It’s funny because a man in London on the tube told us a saying that was floating around London around the time of Wimbledon about Andy Murray. He said, “If he (Andy Murray) wins Wimbledon England will love him for it, but if he loses, he’s Scottish”.