Wimbledon Diary

A tennis miscellany

Punters pile on

BOOKIES WILLIAM Hill were served up with their biggest ever Wimbledon bet yesterday when a punter put £140,000 (€155,000) on Rafael Nadal to beat Andy Murray. The pair meet in the semi-finals today with the Scot hoping to end the 75-year wait since a home-grown player lifted the trophy. However, one gambler is hoping the nation has to wait another year. The record holder walked into a Hill’s shop in central London and placed the 1 to 2 bet and also put £51,000 (€57,000) on Maria Sharapova winning the women’s title at 5 to 4. If Nadal wins the gambler will pick up £210,000 (€233,000) and the Sharapova win will trigger a £114,750 (€127,000) payout, totalling £324,750 (€360,000).

Teenager Chloe to take centre stage: Thanks to Sue

A TEENAGE wheelchair tennis champion, who turned to the sport to escape bullies, is to perform the all-important coin toss during the Wimbledon women’s final. Chloe Ball-Hopkins, who suffers from the muscle-wasting disease nemaline myopathy, will be watched on Centre Court by a worldwide audience of 375 million people.

The condition leaves Chloe with weakness in her arm, leg, throat and face muscles. She has used a wheelchair since primary school.

The 15-year-old’s love of tennis helped make friends outside the classroom and beat the playground bullies. The determined teenager was invited to play the important role – deciding who serves first – by tennis presenter Sue Barker, who is president of the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign. “I really love tennis so this is like a dream come true,” said Chloe.

Pierre can pack his bags: Passport rules to be relaxed

PET PASSPORT rules, which prevented Novak Djokovic from taking his poodle to Wimbledon, are to be relaxed, the British Government announced yesterday.

The change to the rules will lead to far more UK pet owners being able to take their favourite animal away with them.

It will also mean Serbian Djokovic and other Europeans will find it easier to bring their cats and dogs to the UK.

Djokovic, who is through to the Wimbledon semi-finals and who has only lost one match this year, was said to be upset that he was unable to bring his pet poodle Pierre (right) to London.

Tomic on march: But little sis is better

JOHN TOMIC’S passion for tennis and his family knows no bounds, occasionally landing him in hot water, but his methods have produced arguably the game’s next big thing and he says there is more to come.

His 18-year-old son Bernard made a big splash at Wimbledon by reaching the quarter-finals but the coach and father reckons his daughter Sara (above with Dad) could “dominate” tennis even more. “His sister is 13 and she will be better than him. She’s a better talent,” said the burly Croatian, who moved his family to Australia from Germany in the 1990s. “She’s number one in Australia for her age. She’s in the under-14 squad. I have people working with her and she’s in very good hands.”

Wimbledon in 3D

FOR THE first time, the climax of Wimbledon is being shown live in 3D in cinemas across Ireland. Movies, Cineworld and CGC cinemas are giving tennis fans and cinemagoers the unique chance to get up close and personal with the likes of Murray, Nadal and Sharapova.

Movies in Dundrum, Dublin, was the first cinema to report a sell-out for this year’s men’s final as tennis lovers around Ireland rush to book their tickets for this unique viewing experience.

Wimbledon in 3D

Match Times (Local Time)

Today:1pm men's semi-finals Djokovic v Tsonga amd Nadal v Murray.

Tomorrow:2pm women's final.

Sunday: 2pm men's final.