Wimbledon fans optimistic of getting tickets on day two of tournament
Some tennis fans arrived in the queue extra early after hearing of long waits yesterday because of additional security.
Wimbledon fans in the queue are optimistic about their chances to watch the second day of the tournament after hold-ups at security frustrated spectators on Monday.
Thousands of tennis fans queued in south-west London on Tuesday morning for the chance to watch the championships.
On the first day of the tournament, some spectators who had visited Wimbledon in previous years said the queue was the “worst” they had seen.
Organisers said extra checks – put in place over over concerns about protests – were to blame for the slow queue.
Joanne Price, 48, from Swansea, told the PA news agency: “Yesterday it was way busier than today.
“When I got here yesterday morning it was massive.”
Thomas Hoeg-Jensen, 59, from Copenhagen, has queued for Wimbledon many times and told PA that there were far fewer tents pitched up on Monday night compared with previous years.
“Maybe because of the weather people saw it was going to rain today.”
Nicola Yeadon, 40, from Liverpool, who is about number 1,200 in the queue, said she was hoping to get a ticket for Court Two.
“We were here just before 5am,” she told PA. “So far it’s been moving.
She added: “We’re waiting to get to the security bit.”
Ms Yeadon was queueing with her mother, Val Ormerod, 69; and sister, Clare Ormerod, 37; both also from Liverpool.
All three were braced for rain with “brollies and macs” at the ready, although the weather has remained dry so far.
Asked how the queue has been, the 29-year-old pharmacist told PA: “Initially we were going to come at 4am or 5am but we heard that the queue was a bit crazy (yesterday) so we were like, ‘let’s go a bit earlier to make sure we get in’.”
He said he was not put off by Monday’s queue chaos, adding: “I guess it was the first day so you expect some teething issues.”
The club’s chief executive, Sally Bolton, told reporters on Monday that security arrangements had been boosted after climate change group Just Stop Oil (JSO) disrupted the second Ashes Test at Lord’s, the Gallagher Premiership rugby final at Twickenham and the World Snooker Championship.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman will hold talks on Wednesday with senior sporting figures and police leaders on protecting Wimbledon and other events this summer from disruptive protests.
Event organisers and national sporting bodies will meet Ms Braverman and Sports Secretary Lucy Frazer to discuss the JSO and Animal Rising groups.
Ms Bolton told journalists that security measures included a “100% bag search” and “selective body search” at all gates – the latter of which will be conducted “on the basis of intelligence”.
Chalk dust or powder substances have been banned this year. They were not listed as prohibited items in 2022.
Home fans will be gearing up for the battle of the Brits in Centre Court as Andy Murray plays fellow Briton Ryan Peniston on Tuesday.
Cameron Norrie will face Tomas Machac from the Czech Republic on Court One.
British players Katie Boulter, Heather Watson, George Loffhagen and Sonay Kartal will also take to the courts.
Roger Federer will be honoured with a celebration on Centre Court just before the start of play.
The championships will run until July 16.
