2. Wimbledon

11 things we learned on day three of Wimbledon 2015

01 July 2015 09:31

1. Heather Watson might just be getting there.

Heather Watson beat former world number five Daniela Hantuchova in straight sets and she did it in style. This was one of the most complete and consistent matches we can remember seeing her play: she was aggressive, her serve was Greg Rusedski-esque at times (okay, that’s an exaggeration, but you could certainly see the effect her specialist serving coach is having) and aside from going a break down early on, she never looked like doing anything other than winning.

And the British public was impressed.

2. But she may still need to work on her words.

We think she means that she knew she’d have to take the game to Hantuchova and not be passive. It was hot out there. We’ll forgive her.

3. Serena Williams is a machine.

Serena Williams
(Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Serena Williams defied the baking heat and sailed to the third round at Wimbledon after winning 6-4 6-1 against Hungarian Timea Babos. It took her all of 59 minutes to annihilate poor Babos, seemingly without even breaking a sweat (or dropping a point).

Britain’s very-own Heather Watson is set to meet 20-time grand slam champion Serena Williams for the first time in her career later this week, we wonder how that’ll go…

4. It was not a good day to be fair-skinned.

Novak Djokovic's coach Boris Becker in the players box during day Three of the Wimbledon Championships
(Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Boris Becker was clearly struggling in the players’ box on Centre Court. Whether that was because of the extreme heat or Novak Djokovic’s dodgy start to the match wasn’t exactly clear.

Djokovic’s rustiness disappeared pretty quickly as he beat Jarkko Nieminen for the loss of nine games, but the sun was very much there to stay. We hope the fair-skinned Becker found some shade – along with this guy…

Greg Rutherford in the royal box day Three of Wimbledon
(Dominic Lipinski/PA)

5. And it wasn’t just gingers struggling in the heat…

It was the hottest July day on record, so whether it was special headwear, a glass of Pimms or an impromtu shower, people were finding whatever way they could to keep cool.

Tennis fans wearing umbrella hats
(Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Tennis fans drinking Pimms at Wimbledon
(Jonathan Brady/PA)

A young tennis fan runs in a fountain
(Frank Augstein/AP)

6. Novak Djokovic is a classy guy.

Djokovic took time to pay tribute to Nieminen and clap him off court in what was the 33-year-old Finn’s last match at Wimbledon. Classy stuff.

7. Caroline Wozniacki is the new Gianfranco Zola.

Caroline Wozniacki and Judy Murray give out coffee to tennis fans
(Philip Toscano/PA)

Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki was dishing out the refreshments alongside Judy Murray to tennis fans queuing outside Wimbledon this morning. It reminded us of the time a few years ago when former West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola brought out coffee for the scrum of reporters camped outside his house. The main difference is that Zola had just been sacked – Wozniacki, after beating Zheng Saisai yesterday, battles on.

8. Everyone loves a reunion.

Kimiko Date-Krumm in Wimbledon qualifying
Kimiko Date-Krumm (AP)

Kimiko Date-Krumm’s eyes went immediately to a possible match with Martina Hingis when she saw the draw for the women’s doubles. That’s because it was the Swiss who sent Date-Krumm into retirement first time around back in 1996. Hingis, then 16, beat the Japanese in straight sets and Date-Krumm then called it a day at the age of 26 – only to come out of retirement 12 years later.

Martina Hingis playing in the Fed Cup
Martina Hingis (Alik Keplicz/AP)

Hingis has herself come out of retirement now, and Date-Krumm’s eyes lit up when she spotted the possible reunion. She said: “When I saw the draw, I thought ‘I need to win in the first round and then I can play with Hingis’. It’s going to be interesting to play together. Hingis also has come back two times, three times. I played the Championships in Madison Square Garden. It was my last match against Martina. So it’s gonna be interesting for me also.”

9. Milos Ranoic’s hair is on fleek.

Milos Raonic playing at Wimbledon against Tommy Haas
(Tim Ireland/AP)

Yesterday, the nation collectively swooned over Kim Sears’ do. Today the nation’s hair hero was Milos Raonic. The big-serving Canadian was out on court for more than two and a half hours as he beat Tommy Haas in blazing heat, and there was not a strand out of place.

This being 2015, the hair does of course have its own Twitter account.

10. The secretary is needed in the conservatory kitchen.

An ill-timed PA announcement interrupted Liam Broady’s match against David Goffin. The Brit laughed it off, but went on to lose in straight sets. We’re not saying that was the reason why he lost necessarily, we’re just putting it out there.

11. There no better way to sip champagne cocktails than like this…

To get into the Wimbledon spirit, one classy restaurant is serving champagne cocktails out of rubbery tennis balls. Holborn Dining Rooms have been inviting tennis fanatics to lounge on the lawn in their dedicated Wimbledon Courtyard Terrace and savour a Break Point cocktail.

Source: SNAPPA