Tennis: Wimbledon through the ages

The invention of the tie-break

Wimbledon can claim to have hastened the implementation of the tie-breaker. Prior to the days of the tie-breaker, the only way to win a set was to reach 6 or any number thereafter with a minimum difference of two games. In 1969, this rule saw one particular match throw up a ridiculous score. Pancho Gonzales and Charlie Pasarell battled for 5 hours and 20 minutes over two days in a first round match. Gonzales won it 22–24, 1–6, 16–14, 6–3, 11–9. Till 2010, this remained the longest match in Wimbledon history and the match with the most number of games played.

In 1971, the tie-breaker was introduced in all sets except the final set, and they were to be used to decide the set only at 8-8. Then in 1979, the tie-breaker was adopted in the format we are now familiar with at 6-6.

The traditions of Wimbledon

Part of the prestige of the Championships is derived from its traditions. Being a thoroughly British tournament being played in British summer and attracting Britons from all echelons of society, the tournament’s traditions have attracted a lot of attention.

In 1963, for the first time, the rule of ‘predominantly white clothing’ was introduced for the Championships. In 1995, this was modified to ‘almost entirely in white’. Strict guidelines on what colours can be used where are given, and players have to submit their apparel for approval prior to the event. The fact that the British are famous for being rather uptight has led to this rule becoming synonymous with Wimbledon.

A famous image of the tournament is the curtsy or bow that the players did as they entered and left the court. The Royal Box is always full of a plethora of eminent persons from various fields interspersed with members of the Club, who can be identified with their badges. Often, members of the British royal family will also be in attendance. Since 2003, the players are only required to bow or curtsy if either the Queen or the Prince of Wales is in attendance.

Then there is the tradition of “middle Sunday”. Where other Slams struggle to fit all the matches over the two weeks, Wimbledon takes an entire day off. This hasn’t always been true though, as in 1991, due to extreme delays because of rain, play was scheduled on the middle Sunday.

And finally, there is the queue. People from across the country, and indeed, the world, pitch tents near the stadiums and wake up early to get into the queue. Even these days, one can get tickets to the Centre and No. 1 courts on the day by being amongst the first 400 in the queue. Often, retired players will walk along the queue, handing out merchandise and posing for photographs.

The Championships offer the largest catering jobs in Europe. In 2012, 7,000 litres of cream, 28,000 kg of strawberries, 100,000 pints of beer, 190,000 sandwiches and 300,000 litres of tea and coffee were served.

Long-term plans unveiled

In 1993, the All-England Club unveiled its long term plans to take the tournament forward into the 21st century, with aims to provide the finest facilities for all those involved with the event — spectators, players, media and officials.

The inclusion of Hawk-Eye, net cord devices, seamless score transfer from chair umpire to score board and then the world, state of the art media rooms, HD coverage and ultimately, the retractable roof – and all this while retaining the heritage of nearly a century – have ensured that Wimbledon continues to remain the pre-eminent tennis championship in the world.