There is a story behind reaching Wimbledon and entering that
court. The experience of standing and sitting in the queue for the tickets and the
build up to reach the place. It was a crucial part of the Wimbledon experience
for me but it translated into something similar that I experienced sitting amid
the audience that made my Wimbledon experience one to cherish. So I’ll go
straight to my experience on court.
I got my ticket and started rushing towards court 2 which
was around 400m away from the Ticket counter. Finding my way through people
with anxiety, I reached the court. There was a line at each entrance as there
was a game in progress. Waiting in this line felt long and the Theory of
Relativity needed no further explanation. Once I entered the court I looked
around for the ideal spot. The thought in my mind at that point of time was- I
wish I had thought of which position I would like to be seated, given an
opportunity to watch a match. There wasn’t much time as it was between 2 games
that you are allowed to enter in and be seated. The second set was in progress
and it was 4-4, Querrey having won the 1st set 6-4.
I grabbed a seat with my camera in my hand, staring
awkwardly at people around me who seemed to be calm in their chairs. People
were calling out names and waving at the entrances to signal their presence.
Soon the chair umpire calls time. The players get up and move to their
respective sides on the court. It was Tsongas turn to serve. He signals to the
ball boy and has 3 balls on his racquet, looks at them and returns one back. In
my mind I have flashes of what I have seen on TV. He gets into position and
bounces the ball, throws it up in the air and bang to the other side. The
racquet hit the ball, the ball hit the grass and a feeling hit me that I’m
alive. I was actually living the moment. The moment where my thoughts and
reality coincided, the visuals come in, the flashbacks of games you’ve watched
on TV. The moment was not short. It
lasted for well over 15 minutes. I could not stop smiling. I could not believe
that I am actually watching a match at the court. It is something I had never
dreamt of. It has never been in my to-do list. I realised I never had a to-do
list in life. This made me feel alive. It was not a single emotion. It is not
something that I can put down in words. For a person like me who finds
everything normal, finding something that was way beyond normality. You reach a
level of happiness, such a level you hope to stay there forever. You lose track
of your senses. Time does not pass at the regular pace. Voices of people sound
like echoes. Players don’t seem real. It is like you are watching them on TV.
Your eyes are capturing visuals for the TV channel.
Meanwhile I am watching the game. There are points being
won. There is cheering, there is clapping, there is standing, there are too
many things happening at the same time. I am in a state that I cannot define.
There are cries of ‘Ohhhh’ and ‘Uhhhhhh’. There is a person who cannot
believe that he is watching a match and
there are two people who are putting in all they have because for them it is
not just a match.
Time passed and I started getting back to normal. It had sunk
in that I am watching a match, for real. I could feel the intensity of the
game, something I never felt sitting back at home. You react to points more. A
backhand seems a trick and the forehand seems a whack so hard that the ball
screams ouch. The speed at which the rallies progress gets you charged up. The
random shouts and noises from the crown are funny. Come on Tsonga. Come on Willy. Come on Sammy. All of a sudden 2-3
guys shout ‘ Ayeey Oooh’ and raise
their hands. Few others look at them and smile. Again they repeat the same and
people around them smile and raise their hands as well and scream ‘ Ayeey Ohh’ . Then slowly people start
raising their arms and scream. Slowly and steadily people get the hang of it.
And then what you witness is something beautiful. It seems awesome on TV and it
feels even better being a part of a Mexican wave. I didn’t experience it just
once but 4 times. People just don’t stop. One occasion the umpire called out
twice to resume the game. There were people screaming during play and the
umpire reminding people to maintain silence when a point is being played. The
ball girl had to ask permission from the umpire for leaving the court for a
break. He was like the teacher sitting in his chair. Obviously, one that no one
wanted to listen to.
The match was progressing very well. There were moments for
both the players. Neither of them could maintain any momentum as the other
would pull out a shot out of no where. There were no breaks coming through.
Tsonga won the 2nd set in the tie break and then Querrey won the 3rd
in a tie break. The service games were dominated by the respective players but
there were some games that were tougher than the others. There were rallies
where both the players should their class. Tsonga was classier while Querrey
tried to return everything Tsonga threw at him. In the 4th set
eventually Tsonga broke again and won the set 6-3. At the start of the 5th
set both the players were serving as if the match had just started. It was 4-4
in barely 20 minutes and we knew we had a long match. At the outset it didn’t
seem that either would drop their service. But as the figure 6 draws closer,
players automatically push harder. It was always evident when I watched games
at home and it made sense. Preserve energy till you are closer to your goal.
The games started getting longer and the light dimmer. It was past 8:30 pm but
the light was pretty good.
The games started getting longer and the cheers started
getting louder. Tsonga had more supporters and it was evident each time he won
a tough point. I was confused whom to support. I came in thinking I would
support the person who is losing so that I could see a good long game. But my
mind drew me towards Tsonga. I wanted him to win because I have been following
him since long. He is a character on court and has been an amazing asset to
Tennis, not only his ability but also his antics.
It had passed 9 now and the umpire kept reviewing the light.
It was 7-7 and he didn’t seem to be happy with the light. He let the game
continue and we had 2 long games. It was 9:15 PM and the light was questionable
for play. So he called out the end of days play at 8-8. But the crowd came into
the picture. This for me was the best part of the day. All the people starting
‘booing’. It was a strange thing because
people were standing and applauding the players and at the same time were
jeering the umpire. The players also did not seem happy with the decision and
were reluctant to leave the court. They stood their ground and people’s shouts
grew noisier. The umpire then instructed them to continue and there was a loud
uproar. The audience were happy. They had accomplished what they wanted. At
that point even I shouted very loudly. Something I generally don’t do and I
felt free and I felt me J
It was a perfect end to the day. The match had to be called off after the 2
games at 9-9. But this time the people recognized that play couldn’t go ahead.
Everyone was standing and the claps didn’t stop. People started rushing to the
exit as it was late and there were people moving towards the court to get
autographs. Querrey left the court soon but Tsonga stayed behind and recognized
the crowd. He changed his jersey and the girls in the crowd roared .
I too went down to get a better glimpse of him. While others
took autographs I just looked at him. Just like a child who has seen something never
seen before. I tried to take a pic but my hand wasn’t steady enough. So I left
the camera in my pocket and let myself just cherish this moment. It had made my
day, my week, my month, my trip. There are things that bring joy to you and you
don’t know why. You just enjoy them because you do and for me those moments
were and for a phlegmatic me those were my moments of happiness J
My way back to the metro station was a walk of happiness. I
was living the song ‘Happy’ by Pharell Williams. I had not been truly happy in
a long time but it was my time and I was HAPPY J
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more-sports/wimbledon-querry-tsonga-marathon-match-suspended-darkness-article-1.1843941
