Fans line up for chance to sit at Centre Court

WIMBLEDON, England — Ten thousand people formed a single line Sunday morning outside the All England Club, where they ate, chatted, napped and waited for the chance to watch some tennis.

"You'll be able to tell your grandchildren you queued for 12 hours at Wimbledon," one steward said.

He added: "Just kidding."

For those arriving 30 minutes before the first match, the wait was actually two hours. The ticket price was $64, and the reward was an opportunity to attend only the third middle Sunday since the tournament began in 1877.

Fans were happy to enjoy a clear, mild morning after a rainy spell that prompted the extra day of tennis. The only umbrellas deployed were for protection from the sun.

The line began forming at 5 a.m. Saturday, and more than 1,500 fans camped out overnight. By Sunday morning the line ran along Church Road and into a parking lot, where fans congregated and waited patiently.

"It's very well organized," said Enrica Olga, a fan who moved to London from Italy several years ago. "In Italy it would be absolutely mad."

The sedate crowd turned boisterous once inside Centre Court to cheer Englishman Tim Henman's victory. He joked that when he becomes chairman of the All England Club, he'll make the so-called People's Sunday an annual event.

"They are obviously passionate about the game," Henman said. "I think it's something that could be capitalized on — to give them the opportunity of coming to the most prestigious tournament in the world. And everybody knows it's not easy to get tickets."

Defending champion Serena Williams followed Henman on Centre Court and enjoyed the atmosphere too.

"It was just like a younger crowd," she said. "The people were really real, and they were really just out there screaming and enjoying the tennis."