Eastbourne

ROTHESAY INTERNATIONAL EASTBOURNE
He has commentated on
the last 20 Wimbledon
Men’s Singles’ finals for
the BBC now former
British No.1 Andrew
Castle has given us the
story from behind the
microphone.
Q&A WITH...
ANDREW
CASTLE
Is there a Wimbledon final
that stands out for your
from the last 20 years?
So many. It is a great
privilege to sit in that
commentary box and to have
done 20 Wimbledon Men’s
Singles finals is an honour.
My first final was Roger
Federer v Mark Philippoussis
in 2003 and I have been so
lucky to see some amazing
moments. The 2008 Final
between Federer and Nadal
is often mentioned as the
best of all-time and Andy
Murray’s first title in 2013
was special for so many
reasons.
Is it hard to keep track of
everything that is going
on during this hectic grass
court season?
There are stories
everywhere, on and off
the court. It tends to heat
up around the time of the
Queen’s Club tournament
and every day brings a new
development. Someone
might say something in a
press conference and you
need to be aware of that,
there may be a confrontation
between a player and an
R
Andrew Castle’s
first men’s final
commentary for
the BBC was
Roger Federer’s
first triumph in
2003
umpire and that needs to
be on your radar and it is
especially hectic in the first
week when there are so many
matches during the first
week of Wimbledon. Then
you ease into the second
week and things tend to calm
down a little, but the flow
of news and stories doesn’t
stop. I am also presenting
the champions’ dinner on the
evening of the final Sunday
of The Championships this
year, so that will finish me off
nicely. I will be cooked but
very happy!
What are the key ingredients
required to be a Wimbledon
champion?
Not everyone can deal
with the pressure of playing
on Centre Court in the
biggest matches of them all.
Whatever their physical gifts,
some people just struggle to
perform in that cathedral-
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Devonshire Park, Eastbourne | 24 June - 01 July 2023