As soon as the Women’s semis were over – we headed back home – takes about an hour and a half to do the bus ride back to the car park and then get back – but we got back in time.
Mum was going to be heading back to Colchester so it was just the one ticket required – and predictably there were going to be lots on am.com also trying for a chance to see Andy.
This time I could have sworn my luck was out – the first time I clicked at 20:30 it said that there were no tickets on sale – and when i tried a 2nd time it took me to the choice. You have to picture the scene – you have your account already set up in Ticket Master to save time – but you have to remember your security doodad as well... then you have to type those stupid distorted words that are SO distorted that half the time I am sure I’m typing total rubbish!
Anyway – another ticket right at the back – but who cares!!!
Dropped mum off at the bus stop on the Friday and decided to public transport just in case both semis went long – the thought of having to leave by 10:40 latest to get my car out the car park before 11pm would have been too hard to bear. Hmm... needn’t have worried about that as it happened!
Last round of noodles (yet again the clear winner in the Food Village by a long shot), a well needed beer after that long hot walk from Southfields station, and topped off with some ice-cream!
I knew the gangway number looked familiar – it was the hiding place of Hawkeye Steward – he who swooped like an aged, balding vulture on anyone so much as twitching in their seats!
At least this time I was a little further along and shielded by a rather large woman... but I did deploy the rootling in the bag tactic for a few notes.
Holds for the first three games and the guys were just settling in to their games. That being said – Nole was coming up with a lot of UEs coming out of rallies ... and BOY does Tomas serve BIG! It was nice to see some rallies – for such a big guy – Berdych’s movement was pretty good and he seemed pretty comfortable at the net...
Nole got his little self broken in the 6th to go down 2-4 and was reverting back to whining and shrugging back at his box – something we hadn’t seen since the Rochus match after he had more comfortable matches. Berdych consolidated the break – by now Nole was just throwing UEs around all over the place – really playing out of sorts. He did manage to hold to make Berdych serve it out – and we wondered whether finally the pressure was getting to Tomas after he DFed at set point... but he settled to take it 63.
Novak did seem a bit more energised at the start of the second set – throwing in big serves and aces – but was still overhitting or dumping easy balls into the net. One of the linesjudges was having a total shocker of a match with a couple of calls overruled and in the end she had to move position.
Nole also had a bit of bad luck with the dusty baselines – slipping and sliding a lot and the ball would check up at one stage where he just stopped playing. An ill thought lob cost him a break in the 11th game and there was an incredible rally from these guys at break point. It was taken at the second time of asking to take things into a TB...
And oh my god that TB – there was a stunning rally with Nole at 5-6 and eventually he challenged a call where Berdych had effectively left a ball where he had a chance of a play. Nole was seriously pissed at being told by Carlos Ramos to replay the point- and the grunt of sheer desperation when he brought it to 6-all was a show of how much he can fight when he wants to! It was a total shame when he had a total brain drain and DFed on set point to lose the 2nd.
His whole body language was such that you just knew he was going to struggle to do this the long way... and there was a mass exodus from the stadium at the start of the third – no-one wanted to miss the next one! Nervy play by Nole to hold but yet another DF did for him and Berdych served it out to book his place in the finals in straight sets!
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