Wimbledon's 'Manic Monday' headlined by Serena vs. Venus Williams matchup
WIMBLEDON, England — When play gets underway at Wimbledon just after 6:30 a.m. Eastern time on Monday, Angela Altimari, a Long Island resident, will be fully prepared for a full-force day, one like no other in Grand Slam tennis.
“I’ll be at my desk with TV, laptop and my iPad,” Altimari, 27, said. “And I’ll have a second laptop at the ready if needed.”
It’s ‘Manic Monday’ at Wimbledon, the day after this tournament’s traditional Middle Sunday, which gives the courts — and The Championships — a day of rest before entering week two.
It should be one of the most interesting days of tournament tennis this year: All 16 fourth-round matches, eight on the men’s side and eight on the women’s side. The other three Grand Slams split their fourth-round matches over two days.
Monday is headlined by Venus vs. Serena Williams first up on Centre Court.
“Manic Monday for me is akin to election night,” said Chris McKendry, a host on ESPN’s broadcast. “I have a producer yelling match scores out to me, and we have to digest a lot of numbers. It’s crazy, but it’s fun.”
The marquee day, in which all 16 matches include at least one seed, is spread out among six different courts, meaning quick-twitch viewing for fans at home, and careful plotting by those with on-site grounds passes.
“I think it’s going to be a great day for the fans,” said Caroline Wozniacki, the No. 5 seed who faces Garbiñe Muguruza, an up-and-coming Spaniard. “It’s unique because you get the top players playing tough matches ... some of them are going to be on outside courts. I think also for people who come here and watch live, they’ll have a field day.”
But simultaneous top-tier matches create a headache for some.
“It’s a bit too much on the one day,” said Todd Woodbridge, the former doubles No. 1 who is a commentator on Channel 7 in Australia. “As a broadcaster, there’s too much to cover; too many things to focus on. You potentially miss some of the great matches going on somewhere.”
ESPN doubles up on network coverage, using ESPN as a Centre Court hub and ESPN2 to focus on the other matches, most notably those on No.1 Court. ESPN3, the network’s digital platform, has matches from each of the six courts.
“We call it cross-court coverage,” said Jamie Reynolds, an ESPN vice president for event production who oversees tennis. “It’s a duality of consciousness. It’s a full harvest of what’s going on and finding that magic moment around the grounds. It is absolutely the volume play.”
Monday is mind-boggling to keep track of, no matter what part of the schedule. As the Williams sisters are set to begin on Centre Court, so will Maria Sharapova and Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan, on No.1.
Elsewhere, American CoCo Vandeweghe could be on at the same time, as well as up-and-coming star Nick Kyrgios. And don’t forget Madison Keys, the 19-year-old from Illinois who was a semifinalist at the Australian Open in January.
All four of the top men’s seeds: Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka are in action on Centre Court and No.1.
“In theory, there’s too much going on,” said Susie Reid, a London resident who has tickets to Centre Court for Monday. “But it gives more spectators the chance to still see good matches on courts 2, 3, 12 and 18, which are courts you can queue for.”
From Tuesday on all quarterfinal matches will be played on one of the two ticketed show courts, Centre or No.1 Court.
“In a way, Wimbledon should play on middle Sunday, but this Monday has always been a tradition which has worked,” reasoned Reid, who is a fitness instructor and avid fan. “However it is tough on the women’s draw as winners play again on Tuesday.
“So does it need to change? TV would probably say yes as they struggle to cover it all, but it brings an energy to The Championships ... everyone involved feels the buzz.”
It’s a buzz felt around the grounds, in the TV studio and for fans at home, too.
“It’s like Thursday or Friday to start off March Madness,” McKendry said. “I think it’s one of my favorite days in sports.”
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