Wimbledon 2022: Early Birds at Aorangi Park
Saturday in Wimbledon was marked by the final preparations of the players for the classic grass field in London, which starts on Monday.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Jun 25, 2022, 06:25 pm
By Jens Huiber from London
If there's anyone you can count on for early mornings, it's Stan Wawrinka. This realization has at least established itself among the staff at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, the three-time major champion from Switzerland is the first player to appear on the court every day. With the Wimbledon title still missing for Wawrinka, there is very little to suggest that Stan's stellar career is yet to close. On the other hand: After what seemed like an eternal break, Wawrinka is back in business, on Saturday he - not surprisingly according to the general assessment - chose an early slot to train with Tommy Paul in Aorangi Park. He lost badly against the American just a few days ago in London's Queen's Club, but it didn't damage the mutual sympathy.
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Aorangi Park is part of the Wimbledon facility. And yet a little world of its own. Because the law of wisdom does not apply here: Laslo Djere practices with Miomir Kecmanovic, and in colors that would be frowned upon on the other courts. Simply because they are not white. Or Andrea Petkovic: all in black!
Pat Cash brought boxing gloves
The Darmstadt native, who will soon end her career - or not, if things continue to go well - practiced with doubles partner Jule Niemeier on Friday, a day later you can see her before tennis-specific training with the medicine ball in her hands in the fitness area of Aorangi Park . Where the old Ernst Happel doctrine applies to some players and their coaches: no exercise without a ball. And so undersized footballs are kicked, thrown and used for concentration games.
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Pat Cash is there too. And he brought boxing gloves. The Australian won the Wimbledon title in 1987 and is currently taking care of Qiang Wang. The Chinese certainly has a big comeback in her on the WTA Tour (she's currently ranked 144, but was previously ranked 12 in the world), and it won't be enough for a career as a martial artist anymore. It doesn't have to. The duo Cash/Wang always seems to be having fun.
Wawrinka moves a little further with Paul
It was not quite enough for the title at Wimbledon for David Nalbandian, who failed in the 2002 final against Lleyton Hewitt. It was the last twitch of a generation of players before first Roger Federer and later Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murra took over the Zeoter on Church Road. Nalbandian takes care of the already mentioned Kecmanovic, things are going quite well. The Serb is in position 30 on the ATP charts, an all-time high, and could give the first real test for defending champion Novak Djokovic in round three.
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Stan Wawrinka, the early riser, on the other hand, has a pretty heavy chunk in front of him in round one: Jannik Sinner. The two played each other twice in 2019, and the young South Tyrolean is still waiting for his first success against the big champion from Switzerland. In any case, Wawrinka, the old fox, doesn't want to leave anything to chance: After the end of the training session in Aorangi Park, he immediately moved on to court 14 with his colleague Paul.
Here is the men's individual tableau at Wimbledon
Here is the women's individual tableau at Wimbledon
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