Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Wimbledon is here

When Kirstie walked into the Eflex Computers offices yesterday, everyone stopped and stared. Hair in a ponytail, tight-fitting Lacoste tee shirt, bright white Addidas tennis shoes…and a very short white skirt.

But it’s not just the look. Kirstie also had a racquet. And balls. A set of matching green towels, and a huge kit bag big enough carry Andy Murray in.

Everyone thought she had gone mad.

No, said Gary. She does this every year. And she’ll come in like this for the next two weeks. It’s Wimbledon, of course. It’s her time to shine.

What do you mean? asked Paul, Alex and Jan.

Well, said Gary as they all took a break from building cheap laptops and computers, it all starts back when Kirstie was a kid of 11. She was playing tennis in the local park with her mum, and dad, and little brother when this guy came up and said he was a tennis coach. He had been watching Kirstie and thought she had a lot of potential.

This coach turned out to be none other than John Lloyd.

What, said Jan in amazement, the one who married Chrissie Evert?

No, said Gary, this was a different John Lloyd, from Hull.

Oh, said Jan, but you made it sound like it was the John Lloyd.

Yeah I know, said Gary. Anyway, this John Lloyd was very taken with Kirstie, and became her coach, with her parent’s permission of course, and spent the next year working on her game. Anyhow, she became so good that when she 14 she was selected to play for West Midlands Youth Tennis, and entered many tournaments around the country.

And one of these was at Wimbledon.

Ah, said Jan, is that where those towels come from?

That is correct, said Gary.

Anyhow, Kirstie got to play on the centre court at Wimbledon in front of 30 people, and it was the best day she ever had.

Did she win? asked Paul.

No, lost 6-0, 6-0, and only won two points…and that was only because her opponent double-faulted twice on her serve.

But you’ll never guess who she lost to?

Who? wondered Paul, Alex, and Jan eagerly, who?

Beth Cartwright of Norwich.

Who’s she? asked Alex looking baffled.

I dunno, said Gary. But I told you, you wouldn’t guess!

Anyway, that was the best day of her life, and the highlight of her tennis career, as she soon discovered boys, her practise went out the window, and that was that.

But ever since that momentous day back in 1996, Kirstie has this love affair with Wimbledon, and every year she dresses up for the part, and sort of re-lives the experience. Of course, she loves tennis anyway, and always supports the British players, hoping, like everyone else, that one of them will do well, and lift that coveted trophy.

But can he do it? Can Andy Murray become the first British player to successfully hit enough balls over the net to win Wimbledon since Mr Perry went large all those years ago. It’s got to happen one day…

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