The 2011 Wimbledon Championships are being held at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon , London , England United Kingdom 3 July 2011 . It is the 125th edition of The Championships, Wimbledon and the third Grand Slam event for the 2011 ATP World Tour and the 2011 WTA Tour.
1) New balls
Ever wondered why tennis balls are yellow? They weren't always - white balls were replaced in 1986 because they are more visible to TV cameras. Incidentally, one ball is only in play for about twenty minutes of an average two-and-a-half-hour tennis match.
2) Loudest grunts
Maria Sharapova, one of the top earners in female sports, broke the record for the loudest grunts on court - recorded at a deafening 101.2 decibels!
3) Longest Ladies' singles
Venus Williams won her 2005 final against Lindsay Davenport in the longest ladies' singles final ever played at Wimbledon lasting 2 hours and 45 minutes. Chairs were only provided for players to rest when changing ends in 1975.
4) Longest professional tennis match
The longest professional tennis match ever played was the Wimbledon 2010 first-round match between Nicolas Mahut and John Isner. It lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes.
5) Strawberries and cream
Last year, 23 tonnes of strawberries were served to visitors. When laid end-to-end, these berries would stretch almost 60km (37 miles), i.e. from Wimbledon to Reading
6) 40 miles worth of string are fitted to 2,000
At least 40 miles worth of string are fitted to 2,000 rackets over a fortnight at Wimbledon . That's just fewer than six laps' worth of centre court.
7) Hark the halk
Hamish the hawk flies for one hour every morning of the championships before the gates open to ward off the local pigeons. He starts his duties at on the dot.
8) Married woman to win the women's singles
The last married woman to win the women's singles championship was Chris Evert Lloyd in 1981.
9) British bad boys
Tim Henman was the first-ever person to be disqualified from the men's doubles in 1995, after hitting a ball in anger and striking a ball girl in the process. Andy Murray, in turn, became the first British player in 106 years to be fined after swearing at a match official - although that was in a different tournament.
10) Name that game
The name 'tennis' is thought to come from the French 'tenez!' (‘Take' or 'receive'), a server's warning shout.
11) Young starters
British player, Laura Robson, is not only the junior champion but, at 15 years and 152 days old on Monday 22nd June, was the youngest woman to play in the senior competition since Martina Hingis in 1995.
12) All White clothing
All tennis players participating in Wimbledon are required to wear all white or at least almost all-white clothing, a long-time tradition.
13) Long-sleeved shirts and trousers
During the late 1800s and early 1900s, men players wore long-sleeved shirts and trousers, and women wore ankle-length dresses. Try playing sports in that attire these days!
