The Aegon International is one of the warm-up events for Wimbledon. Having developed a passion for tennis-watching at the French Open and wanting to visit some good friends who lived near the stadium, we were thrilled to have a chance to head to Eastbourne for the event.
Dear friend, Sonja, picked us up from the train and bravely navigated the packed streets looking for parking. Once we actually got into the stadium, however, the crowds were barely noticeable. In fact, our seats turned out to be in the first row of centre court and we honestly could have whispered tips to the tennis players (if only we knew some advice to give) we were so close.
Not only was the main court intimate and relaxes but the lower game and practice session courts were so casual you could actually just grab one of the folding chairs from the stack and pull up a seat to watch.
But the main event - the tennis itself - was incredible. One of the big games - top seeded Radwanska versus Paclyuchenkova - was a nail biter. The frigid weather did not diminish their resolves to win as they battled out each game over the three sets (6-4, 3-6, 7-6). The final nod went to Pacyluchenkova who, although lower in rankings, seemed to have a slightly better command of the court that day. Unbelievably, she went on to play a doubles match that afternoon!
To top off this great day, we headed back to Waldron for a lovely catch-up and dinner with Maxine before taking the train back to London, exhausted but very satisfied.
No comments:
Post a Comment