Serving Wimbledon A Behind-the-Scene Account

This year's Wimbledon Championships may be over but everyone can easily have a peek at the world's most prestigious tennis tournament at (almost) any given time.

Located in the south of London, the home of Wimbledon, the All England Club is open for public to participate in guided tours and a museum visit. Here's our take on some of the tour's highlights.

Henman Hill

That afternoon, our charming, motherly English guide took us to the first tour stop: Henman Hill. Each year, tennis fans who don't get show court tickets sit here (and bring their picnic bags) to watch the Wimbledon matches via the giant screen.

Though its actual name is Aorangi Terrace, the hill was nicknamed Henman Hill in honor of Tim Henman, a former number one British player. Given the condition of Henman's retirement there's been the talk to change the label into Murray's Mount (obviously from current Brit semifinalist Andy Murray), however it remains Henman Hill for now.

Decked out with flowers and emblazoned with this year's logo, the hill, unlike on its tournament days, was rather empty. It offered the perfect opportunity to climb up the mound for a glimpse of the city of London and the Wimbledon complex we'd next further explore.

Take a peek at BBC studio where telecast is done every year. Courtesy of Edwin Rivai

The Press Centers

The tour then went into Wimbledon Broadcast Centre to visit the BBC studios. As the official TV station for Wimbledon since before the Second World War, BBC is as legendary as the tournament itself. For instance, last year over 13 million viewers watched the Nadal - Federer epic match in the final via BBC telecast, a spectacular number by any means.

On the set, it was surprising to observe how "ordinary" the studio looked. The limited amount of space was optimized with one desk before the giant window; and another set next to it put Wimbledon players' images as the background for the telecast. In this studio, Henman, Boris Becker and John McEnroe and many others have become game commentators throughout the years. Don't forget to sit at the anchor's desk to complete the experience.

Moving on from the BBC set, visitors will be taken to the Millennium Building. We were given a chance to step into the shoes of tennis stars for a few moments, as we were brought through the player's entrance and had a look at the reception desk where players arrived and checked in each summer.

Passing through the players' cafeteria, we then entered the press conference room. In the center stage lay the hot seat where the likes of Roger Federer or Serena Williams have answered questions from international journalists. Predictably every tour member took turns to sit on that coveted spot and get their "I've been to Wimbledon" photo taken. Even just for a while, it felt good fantasizing about being a Wimbledon celebrity.

Tennis fans bring their picnic bags to Henman Hill to watch the tournament via giant screen. Courtesy of Edwin Rivai

The Courts

The most sought-after site in the tour is of course the Centre Court. Too bad that during our visit, the legendary court was closed for public. The multimillion-pound renovation that put a retractable roof and 1200 extra seats in the Centre Court took years and left the court untouched by visitors most of the time outside the championship. The good news is after this year's tournament that shiny new court is yours to gawk at.

The tour still took us to several other courts including the old Court No. 2 that's dubbed "The Graveyard of Champions" as it often take seeded players as its victims. A renovation moved the court into a Court No. 13's site for a better look and bigger capacity with the old one became the new Court No. 3.

The final stop in the tour de court is Court No. 1 where for decades the best matches were often juggled between here and Centre Court. The tour guide lets us walk around the stadium, sit wherever we like and take pictures for 10 minutes or so.

Built in 1997, visitors can admire the stadium's design that was made to allow spectators' to have an unobstructed view of the games. Given the grand capacity of 11,429, the court is surely one of the tour's biggest highlights, allowing tennis fans to relish memories of great past performances of the century.

Just below Court No. 1, make a detour to the Renshaw Caf* pre or post tour. Open for public to taste the Wimbledon's classic strawberries and cream among other menu, the caf* is great for a relaxing afternoon English tea.

Take a tour with John McEnroe’s video image in Wimbledon Museum. Courtesy of Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum

The Museum

When the tour is finished, visitors can top it with a visit to Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum that includes a free audio guide. To keep interests at a high level, the museum is designed to be lively and interactive, combining audio-visual techniques.

Video screens are available for many memorable games in Wimbledon history to be watched again (we love any Evert vs Navratilova retro finals) while 200-degree cinema featuring 2005's match between Sharapova & Llagostera will offer you an insight into the science of tennis. And that's not it; one can also challenge their tennis skills with plenty of games available.

Another interesting point is John McEnroe exhibit that lets the player's video image take the museum goers to his recollections of Wimbledon like nobody ever does. From dressing room in the 80s to McEnroe's locker, it's a fascinating behind-the-curtain account from one of the world's most infamous players.

For approximately an hour or more, depending on your free time, tennis aficionados can wander back to great Wimbledon moments with photos, videos, players' trophies to authentic memorabilia dating back to 1555.

An inviting finishing point, the gift shop located above the museum offers great Wimbledon knick-knacks. Ever dreamt of using a Wimbledon towel during a tennis game between friends? It's about time to flaunt one back home.

If you go.

Getting There
Take the London tube and make a stop in Southsfield station then take bus number 493.

Opening hours & Tickets
The museum opens 11 am - 5 pm daily. Check www.wimbledon.org for guided tour dates.

Entry ticket for guided tour and the museum cost *15.50. Use London Pass (www.londonpass.com) to enjoy them for free.

Source : The Jakarta Post