What would they have done without physios?

30 June,2012 08:56 AM IST |   |  Dileep Mehta

A morning walk into the players' locker room revealed that it takes quite an effort by the organisers to keep players in excellent physical condition.


The ATP and WTA supply four physios each for the tournament. The organisers have a back up strength of nine physios. The physios get to know players, their niggles and ways of dealing with them. Most of them massage the players too.


A physio checks on injured Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina during a Wimbledon match last year. Pic/Getty Images

They don't even get a break, as they have to constantly monitor every round. They say the first three days (Sunday, Monday and Tuesday) are the busiest of all.

There is also a professional salon service in the locker room for more demanding heroes. While women players have to take an appointment with the hairdresser, it is on a first-cum-first-serve-basis for men. However, as in a casualty ward, an acute injury tends to be attended to more quickly.

The team of physios arrive at 9.30 am and finish by 10 pm. They are the last to see the players after they are done with press conferences and drug tests. The top 10 players have their own physios.

Super organisation
The Wimbledon championships is not only great for its atmosphere or matches, surroundings or the All England Club arena. What's also great is how the entire show is managed with organisers looking at the smallest of details.

The line judges play a vital role and their job is highly technical. They work in shifts through the day: 75 minutes on court, 75 minutes off the court. When the match ends, they stay on the court and wait for the next players to arrive before switching on for show time.

There are nine line judges on the show courts, and seven elsewhere. The hardest job is that of the service-line judge, who has to decide whether the serve was long or not. u00a0

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