Wimbledon took its traditional Middle Sunday rest for the last time, as it will become like every other tournament as of next year. To be frank, this saddens me a bit. Oh, sure, with the English weather being what it is, it sometimes happens that matches will be postponed on the following day, but we have to admit that it was a nice tradition.

A nice one, really? Yes. Because it was followed by the Manic Monday, when all the round of 16 matches are played in one single day. This is also something that I will miss: not knowing what to watch, or how many matches at the same time to watch, actually. Following everything at once and trying to tweet, write, and live at the same time.

I presume that the women’s round of 16 will be played in full on Sunday, and the men’s on Monday, logically, if Wimbledon is to keep with its usual schedule of alternating women’s draw/men’s draw for the last week, culminating in a Saturday final for the women, and Sunday for the men.

A welcome break

Still, that Middle Sunday break was always more than welcome, for players (and their teams), workers, media, and fans alike. A nice way to catch our collective breaths before the last stretch of the grass season.

It was also a nice little moment to analyse what the Manic Monday would offer, sometimes ad nauseam, perhaps, when networks devote hours in sometimes too long analysis, but a good way to take time to come back on the first week of the tournament, and previewing what Monday would bring.

I admit that I would sometimes find the analysis quite humorous. especially in hindsight, because predicting what will happen is sometimes a long stretch. And let’s face it: it’s easy to predict that the favourites will emerge victors, although we have seen, in the not so far away past, that many surprises can happen. Look at this year’s women’s singles draw, for instance. Huge battles, and immense surprises, there. In other words, fun times. Of course, it was a little more predictable on the men’s side, but that has been the norm for so long that upsets can be seen as hurricanes in the draw.

So we shall see what Manic Monday will bring. I will not make any prediction other than I will be watching and following with my usual gusto.

Cover photo © AELTC/Ian Walton