Wimbledon fans have pitched up early on the newly dubbed 'Arthur's Seat' to watch British wildcard Arthur Fery face number two seed Alexander Zverev in the men's singles semi-final on Centre Court. Fery, ranked world number 114, takes on reigning French Open champion Zverev at 1.30pm, aiming to become only the second men's wildcard to reach a Grand Slam final.
Grounds fill up early as temperatures soar
By 11am on Friday, the grounds were already busy, with the famous hill filling with spectators. With temperatures expected to reach 31C, visitors came equipped with sun cream and water. The hill, previously known as Henman Hill and Murray Mound, has been renamed 'Arthur's Seat' by fans. It holds up to 3,500 guests, with a dedicated team managing the crowd and directing people to other viewing spots.
Fans queue overnight for tickets
Hal Cowling, 27, and his girlfriend joined the queue at 6.30pm on Thursday hoping for tickets to both semi-finals. They secured ground passes and were queuing for resale Centre Court tickets. 'Well, Fery is going to be the exciting one, wild card entry and a Brit, but Djokovic and Sinner as well,' said Cowling, a patent lawyer. He noted there is 'definitely a lot of excitement' around the Fery match.
Terri Banks, 60, an NHS worker, and her husband Adrian, 54, had court tickets but chose the hill instead. 'We have got a number one court ticket, but because of Djokovic and Sinner, and obviously Arthur, Brit, we've decided to come on the hill,' she said. 'Oh my gosh absolutely, it's amazing. The first wild card in 25 years, and he's done something brilliant.' Adrian added: 'We could rename this Arthur's Seat tonight.'
Fans from Scotland join the excitement
Retired police officer Gill Nolan, 59, attended with a ground pass from a friend. 'We're planning on staying on the hill watching the Fery game, but my friend is in the resale queue with the hope of getting tickets for Centre Court for any game, but particularly the Fery game,' she said.
Jen McMillan, 37, and Anna Smrckova, 34, both teachers, queued from 4.20am after flying from Scotland on Thursday evening without sleep. They said they were most looking forward to the Fery and Djokovic matches.
