A few minutes later...

... the covers are off on Centre Court. That is a good sign. As promised, here are some photos from yesterday that I took during a brief respite from the freezing bunker. There are a fair number of computers in here, so the air conditioning is always on. The vents are at the other end of the room, up at ceiling level, and angled such that the cold air travels the length of the room, down the window and onto my hands. Honestly, my hands are several days younger than the rest of me thanks to the cryogenic temperature. Anyway, as I said, I took a brief and brisk walk around the grounds looking for things to point my lens at. Here is some of what I found...






- The umpire waits for the players to join her on Court 18 for the coin toss.
- Sukova and Navratilova during the warm up.
- Martina demonstrates that she still has the skills.








- A tight shot with the 300mm lens.
- Navratilova arches as she prepares to unleash a serve.
- Sometimes the light is strong enough to give excellent shadows.
- Willis bends the strings with a forehand return on Court 14.








- Willis's opponent, Ehara from Japan, lofts the ball high...
- ... before smashing it Willis-ward.
- On Court 15, Miss Holland looks in danger of catching flies as she serves in a recklessly open-mouthed fashion. No, not Miss Holland the beauty queen. This Miss is from Australia.
- A ball boy proffers a ball. I like the way his hand fits the curve in the logo behind him.








- A line judge, probably very glad of the 'reflective' Ralph Lauren cap.
- Miss Holland returns a high ball.
- Chairs waiting to welcome a player on court.
- More chairs awaiting a mixed doubles match. Both these photos were taken with a tilt and shift lens.








- A distinctively dressed steward catches me taking his picture.
- A ball boy leads a snaking line of fellow ball wranglers to their designated court.
- The crowd at the top of Murray Molehill. Another shot taken with the tilt and shift






- Officials preparing to go onto court. This one was impossible to expose properly.

Right, it is time for some food.