Despite searing conditions on Thursday, rumour had it a diktat was sent down from on high forbidding female photographers from wearing “short” shorts. Approaching one photographer for confirmation, the Diary was told the ban also extended to “sleeveless tops”. Asked why, the photographer sighed and said: “God knows.” An official enquiry only added to the mystery, with a Wimbledon spokesman saying there is “no specific guideline for female photographers” but those of both genders are “asked to wear a sleeve”.
Isner: champion sushi eater
The accreditation dangling from the necks of players as they arrive at the All England Club is not just for identification purposes; it also makes a mockery of the hoary old saw which says there’s no such thing as a free lunch. One perk at Wimbledon is a £77 per diem redeemable at the players’ restaurant courtesy of a quick scan of a bar code on their ID. While Andy Murray is famously fond of his sushi, he will have to go some to out‑eat John Isner. Following his first‑round win, the American ordered 36 salmon nigiri rolls.
Land of milk and fish
Isner may be single-handedly responsible for the fact that sales of sushi in the restaurant have doubled year on year for the past three years – a 306% increase since 2014, when 17,900 pieces were eaten, up to last year when it was 54,784 – but Judy Murray has warned of the dangers of eating too much raw fish because of concerns about mercury poisoning. Drinking low-fat chocolate milk is less fraught with peril and players have requested it this year on the grounds that it aids muscle recovery and is presumably more pleasant than the ice baths many endure.
Coffee king Agassi
Tennis fans queuing in the hope of securing ground passes for action at Wimbledon on Friday could have their morning coffee poured by an unlikely barista. An eight-times grand slam winner, Andre Agassi won his only Wimbledon title a quarter of a century ago and rumour has it he will be working on a service game of a different kind in his role as brand ambassador for Lavazza Coffee, who have been sponsors of Wimbledon since 2011. In London coaching Novak Djokovic, Agassi will follow in the footsteps of Judy Murray, who served bleary-eyed campers their espressos last year.
Darcis forced out
The glut of retirements blighting this year’s Championships showed no sign of abating when Steve Darcis hoisted the white flag just three games into his second-round match against David Ferrer on Court 17. A bad back did for the 33-year-old Belgian, who will go home with a cheque for £57,000. After stunning Rafael Nadal in straight sets four years ago, Darcis retired because of a shoulder injury sustained during an easy first‑round win.
Keep them guessing
How best to maintain morale among staff while ensuring they remain alert? Set them a puzzle to keep them thinking all day ... or for just a couple of minutes if you are as razor‑sharp as the Diary. At the end of one security briefing near Centre Court on Thursday morning, a supervisor was overheard setting his team their riddle of the day. “What’s three‑sevenths chicken, two‑thirds cat and half goat?” was the teaser. Far from being an exhibit at a bestial freak show, the answer is considerably more prosaic – think of an American city that was famously Frank Sinatra’s kind of town.
