‘You have requested breakfast, we have not charged you for it yet. I suggest tomorrow morning you come down and look at it, and then decide if you want it.’ The integrity of the receptionist at my Camden Hostel is very refreshing or perhaps he has had one too many complaints or even it’s his last day. Whatever he has succeeded in not getting me excited about the breakfast. I am bed 7 in a shared dormitory (cost of living crisis) top bunk of a triple bunk too and my legs are still very bad. Remarkably I have not heard any snoring, just a lot of fidgeting and phones going off, my sleep is a lucky dip these days anyway. I am awoken early and if I am to indulge in the strongly recommended breakfast it is still a couple of hours away. Having been warned off my plan has altered. I am some distance from Roehampton and have elected to get the train to Putney and walk from there. I arrived at London yesterday afternoon, walked from Victoria to Camden, via the West End, when God was designing London’s West End he did not consider Mobile Phone Sat Navs. Once checked in I walked to Camden Market to Pescobar’s Octopus Kebab for dinner, I had Fish and Chips. Pescobar, the Romanian Seafood Entrepreneur is Miriam Bulgaru’s sponsor and owing to my fandom it will be my providing my evening meals each week. My last penguin diary in Wiesbaden ended suddenly due to my falling very ill and I decided not to include my final day. A few months later I am better in myself but still physically in bad shape. A continual burning sensation in my legs and weak and fatigued all the time. However, it is Wimbledon qualifying and today I’m watching Miri for the tenth time and hoping that will become eleventh and twelfth also this week. To be present at Bucharest last year when she won her first WTA title at home was the most special moment in my tennis fandom and I would long to see her qualify for a Major tournament, especially Wimbledon, but it’s a long way to go. So my mind is set, I am to descend from bed 7, have a shower, forgo the breakfast and begin my journey to Roehampton, taking in an alternate breakfast on route. And if I set off early enough I may miss the London rush hour. 🙁

The shower was spacious and the flow heavy with warm but not super hot water. Once in the shower the cubical light kept going off which made the exercise more challenging. I took the train to Putney and considered where to eat, there was a Costa by the Station yet I gambled and went further. There are a few splodges of rain in the overcast sky, this is a concern as the Little Champ is fourth on so if there are significant delays she may not play until tomorrow and potentially play twice on the same day. I walked all the way to Roehampton, no food, no coffee, tired legs. The steward was very friendly and told me to go to the bottom of the park for food and drink. There was a little coffee hut. It was closed. I saw a man holding a takeaway coffee. I excitedly asked if there were any food and drink places nearby, ‘No, no, no!’ annoyed that another human dared to engage him in conversation, ‘Then where did you get that?’ I pointed to the cup, ‘Far, far, far away!’ He answered I then allowed him to go far, far far away – Tosser. I resorted to the Internet and it guided me to Richmond Street where I found a lovely cafe, ‘Upper Rich Caffee’ and reasonably priced by London’s lofty standards. I had the most delicious vegetarian omelette, mushroom, tomato, feta cheese, spinach, the works and a salad and roll. As I finished the roll wishing it had a little butter the waitress asked if I would like any butter! Yet the race was already run! But already keen to come back tomorrow.

I joined the queue at the gate underneath the ominious dark sky yet the rain kept away. My priority today is Romanian and Swiss Players my love of both steams from Simona Halep and Roger Federer respectively. I happened upon Leonie Kung practicing with her team on arrival so I grabbed a coffee and watched for a bit.

My first encounter with was Romania’s Patricia Tig in a long three setter against Canada’s Kayla Cross. Tiggy lost the first set but took the second on a tiebreak and was ultimately the stronger in a close final set which ebbed and flowed. Tig won 4-6 7-6 6-4.

Leonie Kung was next, owing to Tig’s long match Leonie was already up and dominating, 4-1 when I arrived, she went on to lose the second set and fall a double break down in the final set, her neighbouring court had back to back Swiss players with Valentina Ryser first and then Celine Naef who both won. I felt bad for leaving Leonie’s match early but my legs were in great pain now and Simona Waltert was warming up on show court one, which had seats, she was playing British Wild Card, Emily Appleton.

I arrived at Simi’s court and she fell a double break down against the Brit only to fight all the way back and take the opener on a tiebreak. She went a break down in the second too but levelled up only to fall to another late break as Emily went one set all. However, I had just found out due to long previous matches, Miri had been moved to another court so I had to get there sharpesh. I also discovered that Leonie had come back from the dead and won her match on a match tiebreaker, incredible comeback.

I caught the very end of Ana Bogdan’s match who won very comfortably, delighting a bunch of noisy excitable young lads. Sadly Simi lost. Miri entered the court to take on France’s Elsa Jacquemot. I love the Little Champ as everyone knows but it was not her greatest match, Jacquemot is a decent player and was solid, Miri could not finish points against her in some long tough rallies, on top of that was a combination of tight forehand errors and not defending effectively behind her drop shots and she struggled to get anything going. I really felt for her, her year has not been the greatest and her last few matches she seems to be hurting and not at ease with her game. However, she has my support always and I know she will work it out. She offered me an almost embarrassed smile as she left the court. It was hard to know what to say, all I could manage was ‘Never mind’ and then quickly considered I might have done better to say nothing at all. I scurried off for a coffee. I always need a little time when Miri loses, at least she was on last.

By the time Miri’s match had finished it was early evening and time to leave. The rest of my day was tired incompetence, I walked back to Putney successfully enough yet could not find the tube station, then my underground train terminated at an earlier stop and I got in fuddle trying to get back to Russell Square. It was too late to go and get an Octopus Kebab so I had a tuna pizza at a local restaurant and retired to the hostel to finish my penguin diary. I heard back from my doctor today too who confirmed I am vitimin D deficient which gives so explanation for my weary frame.