17 июня 2014, 23:57 4 мин.

УИМ: Воспоминания и мысли Марии

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French Open champion Maria Sharapova shares some memories, highlights and top tips for enjoying Wimbledon.

My tips for a fan attending Wimbledon for the first time: "I would suggest getting to Wimbledon in the first week, and even better in the first few days of the first week. It's in the first couple of days that the majority of matches are played, and you also get to see everyone practising at Aorangi Park. Sometimes the training is better and more entertaining than the matches themselves, as you really get to see behind the scenes, and see how players prepare for their matches. If you want to see players, I would suggest hanging around Court 18, as players walk past there from the locker rooms to the practice courts. And don't forget to eat a bowl of strawberries and cream, or to bring a pen – you'll need that if you want players' autographs."

My first memory of watching Wimbledon on television or in person: "My first memory of watching Wimbledon is when I was spending a lot of time in California practising with Robert Lansdorp. That's when I watched a lot of tennis as I had a lot of free time, as that wasn't my home. So after practice I would sit down in front of the television and watch Wimbledon. I don't remember which players I was watching, but I do remember all the green, all that grass."

How I like to relax in Wimbledon between matches: "There are a large amount of restaurants and cafes in the Village, and I usually like to go to one of the cafes. It's a nice little village – it's quite small – and there are a lot of players staying around so it's nice to hang out in a nice atmosphere."

The player from the past I would like to face on Centre Court: "Steffi Graf, as she would be the most challenging on grass, with her slice and her old-school game.”

My first memory of competing at Wimbledon: "I was a junior, and I reached the final, which I lost. My best memory was of when I was leaving the club – it was after the men's final had ended, and it was so quiet, and no one was on The Grounds any more, and I always remember that because a couple of years later, I won the women's title, and I thought back to after that girls' final and how I had always wanted to one day win the women's title."

My Wimbledon highlight: "Of course the highlight is holding up that trophy, and having the opportunity to go to the Champions' Dinner, which has been a tradition at Wimbledon for so many years. That was a unique experience."

The one match at Wimbledon I would like the chance to play again: "My fourth-round match at the 2003 Championships. I remember that I really could have won that match. If I had won, that would have been my first time in the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam. That's a match that I would have liked to have won."

My favourite Wimbledon tradition: "I love wearing white at Wimbledon, as it's so unique to the tournament. It's so different to what we wear the rest of the year, and it limits us to what we can wear at Wimbledon, so it means that we have to get more creative with fabric and material, and the shapes and forms of what we wear on the court. We always try to add little bits of colour, but that's difficult as we have to make sure that it's predominantly white."

How I spend my time during a rain delay: "I usually read or listen to music. It can be a very boring time, and it can be very crowded as there aren't that many places to go to during a rain delay. The locker room will get full of players, it's pretty busy, so if you get the chance to sit on the couch, you're pretty lucky."

How I adapt my game to grass: "There are a lot of quick points, so you work on adapting to that. You work on your serve and return, and trying to get an advantage as quickly as possible."