Game Set And Match To Wimbledon

Wimbledon came to Wimbledon last week in a quick verbal volley exchanged between local resident Brian Hales and the BBC World Service.

Unseeded Mr Hales’ and top seed interviewer "Matt’s” three minute conversation at 6.45am New Zealand time was part of a “World Wide Wimbledon Tennis Tour" put together by the BBC.

Keen to investigate how many other Wimbledons there were in the world, BBC research came up with three – Wimbledon New South Wales, Wimbledon North Dakota and Wimbledon Down Under.
Pleasantries exchanged the game started.

“I’m looking at tennis on the outside court so what are you looking at in New Zealand Brian”? Matt asked.
The ‘fifteen love’ return was swift. “Dawn is breaking and I am looking at a tennis court – but no one is standing on it.”

As the conversation progressed Matt learnt that colonial settlers came to Wimbledon in Tararua/ Southern Hawke’s Bay in 1886, that Mr Hales was a 5th generation farmer and that the district had about six large farms each around 4000 acres. Hills were “big and rolling” and preparation was under way for spring lambing.

“Population”? enquired Matt. “About twenty.” And Wimbledon’s biggest event? A tennis tournament. A fun family day where participants come from neighbouring Herbertville and Ti Tree Point and the winner takes home a cup.

In return, Brian learnt that Wimbledon in New South Wales had a population of 50 and that the biggest annual event was - unsurprisingly perhaps - a tennis tournament.

Not so for the American counterpart in North Dakota where the biggest event was in the first week of November when visitors came for the deer season.

It was a brief exchange with a satisfying result.

Game set and match to – Wimbledon.