Murray wins: watching Men's finals day at Wimbledon

[caption id="attachment_4011" align="alignnone" width="1200"] An emotional Andy Murray just after winning[/caption]

There are some sporting events you dream of seeing in person –an Olympics final, the deciding match of a Premier League season or perhaps the last day of a golf major. My sports bucket list also included a Wimbledon Final, but it wasn’t something I ever thought I actually would see in person. Until last year.

And, as I'm a Brit, you’ll know that 2016 was the perfect year to be there for the “Gentleman’s Singles final”. After all, Andy Murray was playing and that’s something you really don’t want to miss.

I have been to Wimbledon a number of times, always getting tickets through the ballot, which you need to apply for in the autumn of the winter before. Anyone can apply for this – you simply need to send off a stamped addressed envelope and then fill in and send back the official form – and you are told if you are lucky enough to have received tickets in the spring. If you are allocated tickets you still have to purchase them, and they rise in price, depending on their importance. The cost of the men’s final was a whopping £175 (but I know I’m never going to get tickets again, so I decided it was worth it!).

Going to Wimbledon on finals day is so different from going earlier in the Championships. For one thing, it’s much quieter. Normally there are matches being played on all the courts, but there were only a few going on – the main action was to take place on one court only. There were far fewer people bustling around and pictures of the main protagonists (Andy Murray and Milos Raonic – the first Canadian ever to reach the men’s final there) on display.

We arrived as we have done before, by tube to Southfields, and then took a taxi from the station (although we walked back later). I was going with my dad, who was then 79, so a taxi seemed wise, at least for one day.

We arrived and took some pictures and then took our seats. The court quickly filled up and I was mesmerised by the royal box. Although I had seen celebrities in there when I had been lucky enough to get tickets before, it had been nothing like this...

[caption id="attachment_4013" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Who can you spot?[/caption]

First up were Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish first minister, and Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London. But they got better! I was indebted to the excellent zoom on my camera and excitedly told the couple sitting next to us that I could see Bradley Cooper, Benedict Cumberbatch, Hugh Grant, David Cameron, Bjorn Borg, Stefan Edberg and others. I had to pull myself away to watch the tennis – although I did glance back a few times at the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, when they appeared.

The match was terrifically exciting. It may not have seemed like it from the score (Murray won his second Wimbledon title in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6, 7-6), but when you are watching and want someone to win so much, you just want it to be over. Plus two of those sets went to a tie-break, which made it nail biting. I am a big Murray fan and am always amazed by how he handles the pressure. But he played beautifully and Raonic was not quite in his league. Even his big serve wasn’t as big as we were expecting.

The whole match took two hours, 48 minutes and it really was a thrill to see Murray win his second Wimbledon title. I took a lot of pictures, including some which really show his emotions.

I was surprised to see so many people leave after Murray’s victory, especially as we had the possibility of seeing two British winners in one day! Heather Watson was surprised to reach the Wimbledon Mixed Doubles final with her partner Henri Kontinen, as they had not played together before the event. They came onto court soon after Murray and Raonic, in order to play Robert Farah and Anna-Lena Groenefeld and beat them 7-6, 6-4 for their first Grand Slam title. In the process, Watson became the first British woman to win a Wimbledon title since Jo Durie and Jeremy Bates picked up the same title in 1987.

[caption id="attachment_4016" align="alignnone" width="1200"] A very happy Heather Watson![/caption]

It was a joy to watch them – the match seemed less stressful than the previous one – and it was amazing to see them win! Mind you, there weren’t many in the royal box who stayed to see it (round of applause for Hugh Grant, who did stay).

[caption id="attachment_4017" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Spot the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge applauding![/caption]

All in all, it was a fabulous, historic day, and all because we filled in a form. We’d recommend you do the same for next year – although be warned, you aren’t always lucky. We didn’t get any tickets in the ballot for 2017. Luckily we have the athletics world championships in London to come in August instead!

Read my tips for a trip to Wimbledon, written following my visit in 2015

Dos and Don'ts when going to Wimbledon: our trip to the tennis

[caption id="attachment_1454" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Novak Djokovic and Philipp Kohlschreiber watch the toss on Centre Court[/caption]

For two weeks each year, the world turns its attention to London SW19 and Wimbledon. This leafy part of South London comes under intense scrutiny as the world waits to find out who will win the greatest tennis tournament of them all. Players from over 60 counties compete in the five main events, all wanting to take the crown.

This is one of the famous sporting events in the world, and we were lucky enough to win tickets for Centre Court in the ballot. This is open to all members of the public (we only had to send off an application form last year).

So, last week my dad and I ventured off to South London (we’re from the north – North London that is – so it did feel a bit wrong) to watch some of the most talented players in tennis ply their trade.

The first thing you need to know when visiting Wimbledon is that you should take the tube, but not get off at Wimbledon Station. The stop you need is called Southfields, on the District Line. It’s not far from Central London.

You will know when you’re in the right place, as the station staff have transformed the stop! There are Wimbledon banners, chairs in the Wimbledon colours and even green covering the platforms, designed to look like grass.

It’s beautiful around here. Wimbledon is an upmarket part of London, very green and leafy, so it’s a pleasant walk to the grounds, especially if the sun is shining. This year (so far) we’ve been very lucky, but, as I’m sure you know, that isn’t always the case.

If you have a ticket, the queues aren’t at all long and we only stood in a line for about two minutes. Then our bags were searched and we were in, ready to take in the sights and sounds of Wimbledon 2015.

Unlike many other events, there is far more leeway about what you are allowed to take inside, including drinks such as bottled water. However, the grounds are full of places to eat and drink, from fish and chips and pizza to sit down restaurants, the purchase of Pimms or frozen yoghurt, and even its own sweet shop, newsagent and chemist (pharmacy). You can also buy used balls - 54,250 balls are used throughout the two weeks, which are stored at 68’F. However, be warned that it's not cheap (as you would expect), so it's probably wise to bring some snacks.

We walked around the outside courts where play was already underway. Centre and Number One Court usually start at 1pm, but the outer courts begin at 11.30. It was about noon when we arrived and already very busy. However, we were lucky enough to see some of Fernando Verdasco of Spain take on Martin Plizan of Slovakia on Court No 14.

Wimbledon, or to give it its full name, the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, is a beautiful place. It reminded me, in a strange way, of a Disney theme park, but one which focusses on sport. It was lovely to simply walk around and admire the flowers, the sights and sounds, and it was also super clean. I saw so many members of staff making sure that rubbish was removed or the toilets cleaned.

We made our way onto Centre Court, capacity 15,000, just before 1pm. Our seats were right at the back, but that was fine as it meant we could see the whole of the court. It was gorgeous.

[caption id="attachment_1457" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Novak Djokovic being sheltered from the sun[/caption]

As we were attending on Day One, we were treated to some excellent tennis, courtesy of the 2014 Wimbledon Champion Novak Djokovic, who is some athlete (his calf muscles are something else....). It was incredible to see him right in front of us, and his opponent, Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany, also played extremely well. It was very, very hot, and each time the players switched sides and sat down to take a drink, a ballgirl would appear and hold an umbrella over their head.

[caption id="attachment_1458" align="aligncenter" width="768"] Maria Sharapova (about to grunt)[/caption]

We also saw Maria Sharapova play Johanna Konta, the British player. I couldn’t believe how loud Sharapova’s grunts were. I have heard them on television, but in person they are extremely forceful and she makes them on every shot. I’m sure it would put me off.

[caption id="attachment_1459" align="aligncenter" width="940"] We were surprised how empty the court was when Sharapova started playing (although it did fill up later on)[/caption]

The tennis I enjoyed the most was by Stan Wawrinka, the French Open champion. He came on third and hit the ball absolutely beautifully, especially with his one-handed backhand. It was a real delight to watch.

[caption id="attachment_1460" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Stan Wawrinka[/caption]

We left at around 7pm, having had a marvellous day. However, we did have some annoying experiences – thanks to fellow fans. Here are my tips for how not to annoy the Wimbledon audience...

• Turn off your phone


• If your phone goes when play is going on, turn it off. Don’t answer it. After you’ve spoken, turn it off, as otherwise it is sure to ring again (yes, this did happen, right in front of us).


• Don’t bring food in a paper bag (it’s very noisy when you rustle about to get things)


• Don’t eat crisps while watching tennis. They are even noisier


• Don’t chat while the action is going on. Or if you do need to chat, perhaps whisper.....

And: don't worry about wearing white (that's just for the players!)

Need to know regarding tickets: There are four ways to get tickets for Wimbledon:  via the ballot (as we did), the queue, ticketmaster, or official hospitality packages (but these will cost you!)

The public ballot, which was introduced in 1924, is seen as the fairest way to distribute tickets for the show courts (Centre, No 1 and No 2). It is open to everyone and is (unsurprisingly) very oversubscribed.

There are a limited number of tickets on sale each day for the show courts, but these tend to sell very quickly and people queue up days in advance. Ticket prices also go up during the tournament. Our Centre Court tickets cost £50 each for the first day. This had gone up to £84 a ticket to see a Centre Court match on Saturday, and will be £160 for the men’s final which takes place this Sunday at 2pm. You can’t buy tickets for the quarter-finals onwards from the turnstiles.

You can buy general “grounds admission” tickets by queueing up and these allow you access to courts No 3 to 19 (first come, first served). These open from 10.30am and close one hour after play ends (or at 11pm). They cost £25 the first week (for entry before 5pm  £18 afterwards), and £20 the second week.

You can also buy certain tickets via ticketmaster, and allocations are also sent to tennis clubs across the country.

When you leave the ground, you can post your ticket back into the resale kiosk and someone else will then be able to purchase it, with all profits going to charity.

Do check the website as the queue is often at capacity, especially the second week and you will really have no chance of getting in.

Need to know: who’s playing? The Order of Play for each day at Wimbledon is announced the evening before.

[caption id="attachment_1455" align="aligncenter" width="940"] The chairs at Southfields Station[/caption]

Need to know regarding transport: Southfields (on the District Line) is the nearest tube stop and the nearest railway station is Wimbledon. There is a regular shuttle bus from Wimbledon station during the Championships. The tennis courts are located around 15 minutes walk away from Southfields, although you can take a fixed price taxi if you want too. Five people go in each cab and pay £2.50 to be dropped nearer the grounds.

Can you bring kids? Babies and children under the age of 5 are not allowed into Centre Court, No 1, No 2 or No 3 or Courts 12 and 18. Those under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult and have their own ticket.

READ MY LATEST WIMBLEDON POST - ON SEEING MURRAY WIN IN THE MEN'S FINAL - LIVE!

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