Only eight matches completed on Day 2, there was the backlog from that and oh yes, the actual ties from Day 3. It was looking like the weather could have been a gripe before the environmental activists muscled into the narrative.
Playing up
Rain is clearly not the best friend of an outdoor tournament. But neither it is the protesters' chum. The covers not only protect those hallowed lawns from the showers but they also prevent those activists from making their point. During a brief flurry of action early on Day 3, a man and a woman managed to get o to Court 18 during the match between Grigor Dmitrov and Sho Shimabukuro and scatter orange confetti and jigsaw pieces on the grass. The man sat near the net with his legs crossed as the woman was taken away. He was eventually removed. The logo on his T-shirt: "Just Stop Oil" seemed a somewhat esoteric request amid the swards. "Just stop raining" would have been a far more gladsome rally.
Pick up the pieces
Just to show that the heightened security to stop such untowardness was at its throbbing best, another protester targeted the match on Court 18 between Katie Boulter and Daria Saville. The crowd booed. And the shops at Wimbledon where the jigsaws are sold took note. They were removed from the shelves.
Search for victory
Novak Djokovic is seeking a 24th singles title at a Grand Slam tournament. Seven have come at Wimbledon. But more than that, the Serb is simply seeking. "I think we all are," said Djokovic after reaching the third round. "I think the curiosity to discover the inner world as well as the outer world is something I feel like we all have, it's just manifested maybe for somebody earlier in life or someone later." Banking more than 120 million euros in prize money over the years certainly helps smooth the path to enlightenment. "I feel very hungry for knowledge, for experiences," added Djokovic. "Life is a great journey that can offer a lot if one is open to experience." If he were ever to become a coach ...
Clay, grass
During the French Open, Stefanos Tsitsipas waxed lyrical about the beauty of a clay court. It's a great feeling when you step out on a newly made clay court that is clean," he said after beating Roberto Caballes Baena. "All the lines are perfect. It makes for a very pleasing visual experience.” Asked to expand on his Parisian reverie in rainy south London afer defeating Dominic Thiem in five sets, the 24-year-old Greek mused: "But there's just something about winning a big match on clay, when you have to move for hours, you feel sore, you're tired, your legs hurt, you have to slide around the court. It's a different feeling on grass. I feel clean. After the match I just feel my body clean. I feel obviously tired, but it's a different kind of tired. It didn't feel as gritty as it would have been, for example, on clay. And a much cleaner win in general." All this from the man whose land gave us the word catharsis.
Weather profit
The first round match between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Dominic Thiem started early on Day 2 but was rained off and eventually completed on Day 3. What to do with with all the hanging around? "Mainly watching tennis," Tsitsipas explained. "They had the indoor matches going on Court 1 and Centre Court. I was analyzing Carlos Alcaraz," he revealed. "I was analyzing who else was playing there ... Elena Rybakina. I was watching them play. I tried to focus a little bit on what they did and how they move and navigate around the court. They're big examples for me, both Elena and Carlos, so I watched that." But will it help him clean up?
