Russell arrived at the R.K.Khanna Tennis Centre after a hectic 25 minutes in mid morning traffic. Below is an extract from the email sent to Donna regarding getting to see Greg play on the 1st day:
I left the hotel at 8am. The hotel called a taxi for me and a little version of a London cab arrived. The driver was a very nice gentleman and he drove ok. We got to the stadium in about 25 minutes, traffic ok.
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| The Black & Yellow Taxi Co. |
I phoned the TA guy, Geoff Quinlan, and he met me at Gate 1 and passed me my entry tickets for the day session and the night session. I had with me the blue back-pack with all the sun-screen goodies, caps, t-shirt, an apple from the hotel and 2 bottles of water. I had to go to Gate 12 to get into the grounds. And security is very, very, very, very good - soldiers everwhere outside the ground, behind gun positions, others walking around, all armed. I went to Gate 12 where there was a crowd of people, mainly volunteers and ushers. The gates open 90 mins before play begins at 10am, it is 8.35am, so perfect. One of the ushers noticed me in the crowd and advanced me to the front of the queue. Excellent, but I felt like another sausage being sqeezed into an already full sausage roll, They give you only enough room, actually a little less than enough. At the front of the queue, the ticket person and an army lady say " No cameras" - and mine is hanging from my neck.
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| Colourful "dunnie" outside ground |
"No kidding" I say. And she says it says so on the back of the ticket (in small print). Hell, I only got the ticket 5 minutes ago so what would I know. "Ok" I say and retreat and then call poor old Geoff Quinlan from TA again. He comes to Gate 1 again and says he will take camera, but an army guy says no way. So Geoff says he will come out of the ground and, as he has accreditation, he will take my bag and camera, etc. through security. I am to meet him at Gate 6.
Well I can get no-where near Gate 6 due to blocked road/access from security/army. No accreditation - no go. "Go away, across the road" says army guy with rifle. I go.
I phone Geoff. He says no problem, he will walk down to corner and meet me there. Nice guy Geoff.
I wait and while waiting I read back of ticket. It does not say anything about not being able to take a camera into the ground. I does say " any images taken can only be for personnel use." Anyway I was not going to point that out to the illiterate gate personnel. Then Geoff phones - security will not let him go out, can't meet me. But hold on, because he is speaking to a guy from the British Police, from Scotland Yard. I wait.
Then another army guy approaches me. I am standing near the corner where the guy told me to retreat. He is an elderly army guy, who asks me what I am doing. I tell him and then Geoff calls and says the policeman from Scotland Yard is coming out to meet me, and will get the camera and my backpack. The small print said " no handbags, no food, no bottled or canned drinks" so basically I could not take anything in with me.
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| Gate 12 Entry (Volunteers in white & red) |
The guy from Scotland Yard arrives, in civvies, not dressed as a 'Bobby'. Gary Mumm (name changed). I chat to him and he says he will take my bag in but as we have just met has to search the bag. He in turn is questioned by the Indian Corporal army guy. Gary says who he is, from Scotland Yard, assigned to look after the expats - Aussies, Kiwis, and all others - at the tennis centre. He is one of the Queen's body guards and is also to arrange security for Prince Charles. While Gary is unpacking the contents of my bag, Corporal guy says " No can take apple in - it could be a missile, water as well." I offer it to him, he refuses and I say I will eat it before I go into the ground. Chatting to him while Gary is giving the contents of my bag a going over, I say to the Corporal "Tomorrow I will not bring the camera or the bag" He retorts " Maybe you should come naked tomorrow". Got to love a soldier with a sense of humour!
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| Games Mascot & Logo |
Gary leaves with my bag and all it's contents, and I head back to Gate 12. I eat my apple and drink a bottle of water on the way. Just after 9am, so still plenty of time to get to watch greg play. Gate 12 is about 300m from Gate 1. Get in, go through "airport" scanner, phone, wallet, etc in tray as you do. They give me a full body pat and feel, then the guy says " No coins - can't take coins in" What? I had some Aussie dollars in my wallet. I say "Why". He says "Could be missile". "Ok" I say "throw them away." They debate this amongst themselves, while I am still being body patted, when a "Senior" army guy arrives, a Leiutenant. Tells me "No, can't take coins in." Calls a Captain across. This guy is the ultimate soldier, no-nonsense, mean looking, glint in the eye guy. Says to me "I will give you a reciept for the money (about 5 dollars) and you can collect it on the way out." "No, it is ok" I say.
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| Court 1 view & security |
I put the money in a plastic bag and tell him that honestly it is not worth it, throw it away, give it to the poor, I don't want it back. "You sure?" he says bewildered. "Yep" I convince him, gather up my stuff and head for the Stadium. In at last.
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| Games Banners at Stadium |
I have a Centre Court ticket, Greg is scheduled to play on Court 1. I check out centre court then head for Court 1. On the way I bump into Gary and he says he gave Geoff my stuff. I phone Geoff and arrange for him to bring the sunblock and mossie roll-on to Court 1. Gary walks with me and chats to an usher he knows and some army people. The usher tells him only 15 spectators had come in by then, now approaching 9.30am. On the way to Court 1 I get stopped by another "Usher" at a fence gate, which also has a soldier there. Even though I have a ticket I need a pass (ground pass it turns out) to go to the other courts. Ok I say, where do I get the pass. Very helpful he says " You have to go out the ground to the ticket office and they will issue you a ground pass for free". No kidding. But he is adamant, so I trek back out of the ground, about a 300m walk, or more, but in the shade.
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| "Pass Gate" - Court 1 beyond |
Get to the ticket office. Yes I need a ground pass, and yes it is complimentary if I have a Centre Court ticket, but can I wait 10 minutes, the tickets have not yet arrived. Gob smacked, I say "No mate, my son plays in less than 20 minutes, I need to get in now." Much head-shaking later he says "Ok, go with these two fellas, they will explain the ticket situation to the usher and get me to centre court". I go back throught the entry, past the bewildered people who denied me entry earlier when I had the camera, then granted me entry later, sance camera. third time for them. Head for the scanners again, but the two guys I am with take me to the left, I am supposed to go right. They get to the scanner and are told their accrediation is for entry at Gate 8 only, and I must go through the ones on the right. Only thing is - I have already entered, so can't go in again! Try and explain the situation but no-go. Then I spot the "Ultimate" soldier, the Captain and call him to come to me. He looks up quizzically, as if to say "How did you get there, aren't you inside" and says "Do you want your coins" and heads off to get them. I shout out "No No, leave the coins, just come here please." He is confused. Asks me what the problem is. I explain - yada yada yada - need ground pass, no ground passes available, can't get in again, my escorts can't get in. He comprehends, has a pow-wow with others, gets us all in - but have to go through scanner again. They tell me I have to "de-activate" my I-phone. I willingly turn it off and head, with my two escorts, to the stadium...
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| \Games Tennis Mascot |
As we approach the stadium and head for Court 1 my two escorts suddenly start to lag behind. "Come on I say, only 8 minutes to go." Get to the Usher and soldier block where I arrive alone. Tell my story to the usher, who had sent me out, that there were no ground passes so I could not get one. So please can I go to Court 1?
Nope - letter of the law, need ground pass. The two "escorts" tell him the story. Nope, need the pass to get to Court 1. I tell him my son is playing. He understands, he sympathises but " No pass, no get in". Yes it is not my fault. They have not yet received the passes and thereofore cannot give me one, even though it is complimentary, but they can't let me in. Soldier says the same thing and all the time everyone is friendly, everyone is smiling. I hear Greg hitting up. It is now 10:10 am. I try to reason with them, Their faullt, not mine. If I could get a pass I would, etc. etc.
An Indian guy with accreditation is standing there listening. He says to me "Tell me your name and I will be able to help you"."How?" I ask. He says " I am a journalist"
"Thanks" I say, " but I do not wish to speak to the media."He understand, but wants to know who my son is.
"No" I say politely " I don't want to get the media involved." He politely nods and backs away but still listens in.
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| View of Court 1 |
Eventually the usher relents. Go. Wow! I can go in - off I head. Just going up the steps, at the top of the landing, can see Greg hitting-up. Soldier calls me. Come back, you may not go in. You are kidding. I reluctantly go back. "What, why?" I ask. "No" soldier shakes his head, "can't go in".
It has been and hour-and-a half now, in the heat, luckily a lot in the shade, and no water. I sink to my knees and then lay on the ground. No way. I think - I'd better not do a Damir Dokic, so I get up and go back behind the fence. The usher shrugs his shoulders, he tried. The stony faced soldier says No go. No pass, no go.
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| Signage - no merchandise |
Then I spot Geoff Quinlan going up the steps to Court 1. I shout to him, he hears me and comes over. I quickly tell him about the impass. He gives me my sunblock and mossie repelent and then phones Scotland Yard guy. Gary arrives and I tell him about the ground pass situation. He speaks to the soldier "Chander" and tries to reason with him. Now another level of "official" joins in and tries to smooth things over. Gary then tell the soldier he will speak to the head of security at the stadium. New guy gives Gary the number, he speaks to "head-honcho" and explains the situation. After a bit of chat, Gary tells soldier Chander that all is ok, due to passes not being available, he can let me go to Court 1. Soldier looks unconvinced, so George hands the phone to the soldier and he speaks to the top guy. I look up and Journalist is taking a photo. I just look away.
Ok all is good, says Gary , I can go to Court 1. But...
"Wait 2 minutes" says the soldier, "someone is coming to tell me in person it is ok". Gary just rolls his eyes. A lieutenant arrives, talks to soldier and in we go, my new escort, Gary and I - after I thanked other two escorts and usher for their help.
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| Information & Ground Pass Tents |
It is now 10:45 and Greg is 2 love up. My son, God Bless him, he takes so long to start a match. Gary comes and sits with me and says he will watch a bit of the match now he is here. He is impressed by Greg's size and build. I sit down, say hi to Peter Luczak and Matt Ebden. Gary says to me, "Look out for your back pocket." Sunblock is running out of my pocket. I put it in there. I have no bag but have a wallet, a phone, roll-on, a cap and a tube of sunblock. Gary laughs and pulls out his 1st aid kit and hands me some tissues. (Mine are in the bag in Greg's locker).
He says to me: "Looks like I'll have to rescue you for the third time in a morning."
I clean up, re-applying sun block along the way. I now have a sunblock self-dispensing pocket. Every time I sit down it oozes out my pocket. Great for re-applying sunblock.
Gary also had a massive camera - so he took some photos of Greg and said he will email them to us. Good old Scotland Yard.
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| Greg on Court 1 |
Luckily I took my chill pills this morning. Eventually, as is the Indian way, I got to watch Greg play.
A less persistent person may not have got there.
So if you get a call from Gary from Scotland Yard, who says he is coming to stay, with us, in Manly - just say "How long Gary and can I buy you dinner?"
Now you know why I could not tell you by SMS.
The tennis stadium is good but to Indian standards.
Later took Greg to meet the soldier "Chander". Chander shook his head, then shook Greg's hand, then mine. He then told me ground passes are now available, please get one. Time now about 1:30pm. I went and got one. Irony is, they stopped asking for the passes and just let everybody through freely.
Don'tyajustluvit.
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| Food Hall/Outlet |
After Greg's match whilst wandering back to Centre Court and wondering where the food outlets and merchandise outlets were, I spotted a sign "Food Concessions" so went into this hall only to be confronted with a row of fold-up tressle tables, behind which were a row of four empty drinks fridges. Can't bring food or drinks into the ground, can't buy them in the ground! Told by staff that it had not arrived yet, but they did give me a free bottle of water.
Whilst watching Hanley/Rodianova Greg went to have lunch and said he would see if he could get me a roll. 'No sweat" I said, "I won't die if I miss one meal". He called later and said he had a plate of hot food for me. I met him and went into the "food concession" place. It was the quickest meal I have ever eaten, in case somebody came an told me I could not, or confiscated it.
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| Spot the mohawk & badges |
Greg said the opening ceremony was awesome. The best experience of his life. Much better in real life than on TV. Only down side is the time it took before-hand. They left the village at 3:30pm. As Australia were first in, they had to stand in a tunnel just at the entrance to the stadium, which had no A/C for about 45 minutes. He reckoned it must have been 45-50 degrees and they were dripping from sweat. He said toward the end his temperature was up and he was getting light headed. He reckoned that if they were not well hydrated sports persons they would not have coped. The rest of the ceremony was great. He said the roar for the Indian contingent was unbelievable. He said the trains at the end of the ceremony were the best part of the show.
Tomorrow will be a lot smoother.
Your "Indian shake-your-head-no-go" Russ
Match report to follow
