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Since Wimbledon is just around the corner, Tidbits is investigating the particulars on this famous tennis tournament.
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by Kathy Wolfe • Every year beginning on the sixth Monday before the first Monday of August, the world’s oldest and most prestigious tennis championship is held over 13 days in Wimbledon, a suburb of London. Wimbledon is located seven miles (11.3 km) southwest of central London. In Old English, the community’s name means “Wynnman’s hill.” • Back in 1868, the private All England Croquet Club was founded off Worple Road in Wimbledon. In 1875, lawn tennis was added to the club and the name was changed to the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet club. Two years later, the lawn tennis championships were held for the first time, with Gentlemen’s Singles as the only event. About 200 spectators attended the tournament, paying one shilling to watch the finals. Spencer Gore defeated 21 other contenders to take the title. • The first players used heavy snowshoe-shaped rackets. The net was 5 feet high (1.5 m) at center. • The official name of the tournament is “The Championships, Wimbledon.” It is one of the four major Grand Slam tennis tournaments, along with the Australian Open, the French Open, and the U.S. Open. Of the four, Wimbledon remains the only one that is still played on grass, while the other three are played on hard or clay surfaces. • Wimbledon’s turf is composed of 100% perennial rye grass, cut to an exact height of 8 millimeters. How a ball bounces depends on the soil, not the grass. The soil must be hard and dry, so the courts are rolled and covered to keep them in top form. The lines are not marked with paint, but rather with a mixture containing titanium dioxide, of which 500 gallons (416 British gallons) are used every year. • Until 1884, only gentlemen participated in the championships. That year, Ladies’ Singles and Gentlemen’s Doubles were added. Ladies’ Doubles and Mixed Doubles came along in 1913. At the beginning, only amateurs were allowed to compete, a rule that stood until 1968 when professionals competed alongside amateurs.
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Vol. I Issue No. 25 VCTidbits.com