Two Sporting Gods, One Measly Airport…
It is 20:40 on Sunday 6th July and I’m in Glasgow Prestwick.
A crowd of 500+ people are usually tired, slightly waspish and muttering angrily about the rudeness/lateness of low cost airlines. Everyone wants to get home. Usually.
Tonight it is different. The whole passenger group is transfixed by the goings-on in SW19. Two champions, two great sportsmen, are doing battle in a match of amazing quality and no-one wants to go home.
I’ve heard 3 or 4 people mutter “I hope our flight is delayed”. How often do you hear that?
Now, if you’ve ever met me you’ll know I’m a sports nut. I love, in descending order: rugby union (Grand Slam this year!), golf, football, touch rugby, cricket, rugby league, F1, snooker and darts.
Tennis isn’t on that list. On the whole I find tennis (particularly on grass) pretty dull. However, what can be more thrilling than watch 2 absolute champions at the top of their game, both gunning for something they want so dearly.
Negative sporting teams - particularly football teams - should take note. These guys have gone for their shots and played positively. Similar to Spain in the Euros. The only real shame is that there will be a loser. It’ll make next years rematch all the more thrilling.
The reason I’m writing this, though, is the general captivating aura of such a battle. I’m a sports fan so you’d expect me to be interested. The hard-drinkign Glasweigans and the mothers-of-three seem equally enthralled. Fantastic stuff.
20:56 - The Fed misses a simple volley to take his service game to deuce (having dug out of a hole at 0-30). The whole airport let’s out an “oooh”! The standard of the play is unbelievable.
21:04 - repeated oohs and aahs from the travellers-cum-tennis-fans after nadal holds serve to go 7-7 in the final set. We are all worried our flight is going to be on time and we’ll miss the end of this… We take off in 20 mins…
21:07 - thank god I haven’t got priority boarding! They have to board now when Nadal has break points!!
21:09 - Rafa breaks! Now if they can just hold the plane while I watch him serve out…
21:12 - time to board. Man, I hope my V+ box has saved this for me… The bbc will come through with the iPlayer … Won’t they? If not, I’m campaigning against the licence fee! Let me know what happens, won’t you?
