Russia's Anastasia Potapova serves to Russia's Mirra Andreeva during the women's singles match on day seven of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Sunday, July 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
By Ken Maguire
Where and when to pop your Champagne is such a Wimbledon problem.
Someone got the timing wrong Sunday at the oldest Grand Slam tournament, where the bubbly helps wash down the strawberries and cream.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please, if you are opening a bottle of Champagne don’t do it as the player is about to serve. Thank you,” Australian umpire John Blom announced just after the start of a match on No. 3 Court.
Anastasia Potapova smiled and nodded in approval. The 22nd-seeded player was serving to start her third-round match against teenager Mirra Andreeva. When she tossed the ball in the air a cork popped and she sent the serve long. She then lost the point on her second serve, and the umpire's warning followed.
Lanson Champagne is available on the grounds of the All England Club by the glass, half-bottle and bottle. “Le White Label Sec” goes for 95.10 pounds ($122) for a bottle.
“Usually, actually, we buy it here, but it’s quite nice that you can actually bring your own in, which I didn’t realize until my husband looked it up this morning,” said Sarah-Jane Watson, a lawyer from Surrey.
“We brought a bottle," she said, “and then we bought a bottle.”
They watched matches at No. 2 Court, where a security guard asked that they not open the bottle inside.
A cork was heard popping at Centre Court, though, between points during a match featuring Iga Swiatek and Belinda Bencic.
The 32nd-seeded Marie Bouzkova said she's too dialed in to be distracted. The Czech Republic native, who lost to Marketa Vondrousova, said during a match a couple of years ago she hadn't noticed a fire alarm going off in a nearby building.
“I was like ‘what fire alarm?'” she said.
Though there's at least one place, she added, that's a bit louder than average: Flushing Meadows.
“In New York," Bouzkova said, "you have more outside noise, I would say, just from the crowd either drinking maybe too much beer or just being a little bit more loud.”
Cleveland’s Major League Baseball team finally has a new moniker, the Guardians. Formerly known as the Indians, the organization made a change to the team name after years of public scrutiny and claims of appropriation of Native American culture. Cheddar’s Hena Doba and Baker Machado provide some additional details into the name change.
Here are your Need2Know stories for Tuesday June 7, 2022:
Today, voters head to the polls for primary elections in California, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota.
Senator Joe Manchin said he would support raising age requirements for gun purchases to 21. Manchin told CNN he also "wouldn't have a problem looking at" a ban on AR-15 assault rifles.
Meanwhile, five players on the Tampa Bay Rays roster opted not to wear a patch added to its uniforms intended to celebrate pride month.
Shaheen Holloway, fresh off leading Saint Peter's on an improbable Elite Eight run, says on Closing Bell that he is looking to take his alma mater Seton Hall to new heights this coming season as head coach. Holloway also provides his insight on the NIL era in college athletics - while he's happy for the players, he also considers the current system 'scary' because more rules and regulations need to be in place.
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp is partnering with eye-drop brand Pataday to help those struggling with allergies — such as himself. The Super Bowl LVI MVPjoined Cheddar News to discuss his own struggle with seasonal allergies. “It's right when football's starting back up, I feel like I get so excited to finally be back playing the game, and then, you know, spring comes around and completely knocks me out," he said.
Jill Gregory, EVP & General Manager of Sonoma Raceway, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where she discusses how next weekend's NASCAR slate will be ramped up, with fans attending at full capacity, and how the venue's road course will give both drivers and fans a unique experience.
