Goofing off as usual it's as if they never left *LOL*
It was rather telling that there were only a couple of seats left in the press area of Court No.2 this afternoon.
Traditionally, a Ladies' Invitation doubles match played on the second Tuesday of The Championships does not generate colossal press attention. But then Anna Kournikova and Martina Hingis are not usually playing in the event.
Today the two women, who won two Grand Slam doubles titles together and reached No.1 in the WTA Tour doubles rankings, took on British duo Sam Smith and Anne Hobbs in a match played in a carnival party atmosphere.
The Russian/Swiss pair were obviously delighted to be back on the All England lawns. They smiled, whispered, and high-fived throughout their contest and had every reason to seem jolly. Just five minutes into the match they were 3-0 up.
But the spectators were here to see a closer contest, so they decided to rouse the underdogs. Shouting out "come on you grannies" was perhaps not the most gracious manner in which to go about it, but that is what one member of the crowd decided to do, prompting much laughter and furious clapping.
It worked. Smith and Hobbs managed to string a few points together and were soon in charge of a couple break points on Kournikova's serve; cue the next crowd interjection "Come on England". The crowd went wild and repeated the din a couple of games later when Hobbs smashed a winning overhead hit from the baseline past Hingis, and promptly took a couple of bows.
Drama unfolded at 5-3 in the second set, when Kournikova suffered a bleeding blister on the palm of her hand.A medical time-out was called, much to her amusement, and she received treatment. They lost the game but Hingis closed out the following one with an ace and the women polished off the match 6-2, 6-4.
Speaking after the match Kournikova said: "For me personally it's an amazing opportunity to be back at Wimbledon, my favourite grass courts. I haven't been here since 2002...Playing with Martina, I think we just picked it up today where we left off eight years ago...I had so much fun today. Kind of jittery a little bit. You don't know how everything is going to go. But I had an amazing time."
Hingis added: "I was very much looking forward to this."wimbledon.org
Yep the 'Spice Girls' were back in fine fashion. Clearly having loads of fun. :D.
It's so nice seeing Hingis at Grand Slams again even if it's at events like these.
I'll take this over not seeing her at all any day of the week.
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