Monday: day 1!

23 June, 2008 | 00:06

First day of Wimbledon and funnily enough the place was jam packed full of people today. Here's the scene greeting the players at the Aorangi practice courts this morning...

..the players - to their credit - manage to keep the fans happy with autograph sessions: getting them out of the way early, or charging through with their heads down, shouting 'I'll be back later, promise!"

Andy was on one of the upper most courts today, hitting with Jamie Baker; plenty of people watching, and taking advantage of the great weather...

Quite a long session this morning, the last one 'proper' before Andy walks out onto court with Santoro tomorrow...

For a lot of the players in fact, today was their last day of pre-tournament practice.

Andy Roddick included....

Andy opted for the post-practice autograph's today.

It's amazing - takes four times as long as normal to move anywhere on site. But each nd every picture/poster/napkin/ball that gets put out, he'll try and sign it....

Fortunately, there is some respite for the players: the tunnel complex that runs beneath the courts. One minute they're in the middle of thousands of people, the next....

...well you're down in the bowels of the club, walking past huge piles of food, drinks and all manner of other bits and pieces.

Still, when you've got to pop and see your sponsors on one of the other courts, it helps to cut down the travel time....

The guys dropped by to see RBS in their sponsor lounge. Pretty awesome set-up in there...

...Andy and Jamie with Andrew McLaughlin, Group Director Communications and Group Chief Economist, RBS.

From there, Andy was back down into the basement of the building again; back up for some food, then transport home.

How does he spend his evening before playing  first round match?

Beating people at pool generally....

Stay tuned for more tomorrow....