By Janis Laizans and Kurt Hall
NEW YORK, June 26 (Reuters) – The manicured lawns of Wimbledon came to the heart of Manhattan on Friday when former Grand Slam champions and fan favourites including Andre Agassi and Caroline Wozniacki took to a temporary pop-up grasscourt erected in New York’s Central Park.
Agassi and Wozniacki were joined by former U.S. player James Blake and Canadian former world number five Eugenie Bouchard for a series of exhibition matches designed to bring a taste of southwest London to New York ahead of the Grand Slam’s start on Monday.
The quartet played singles exhibitions before teaming up for mixed doubles on a Wimbledon-style court installed at Wollman Rink at the southern end of Central Park, against a backdrop of trees and Manhattan skyscrapers.
“It was an amazing experience,” Wozniacki said. “Playing on a grasscourt in the middle of Central Park doesn’t happen every day. To be part of this amazing event was something that I won’t forget.”
The head agronomist at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, Mark Ferguson, oversaw the court, and the grass was specially grown in neighbouring New Jersey for the pop-up installation.
“I think it’s a fantastic kind of juxtaposition of Wimbledon and New York together,” Ferguson said.
The exhibition also provided an opportunity for the former players to discuss the return of 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Serena Williams, who is set to make a surprise comeback at Wimbledon after four years away from singles competition.
“I’m very excited to see her back,” Wozniacki said.
“It’s always great to see some of the best players ever come back and play. I’ll be watching, I’ll be supporting and it will be great.”
Asked whether she might consider another comeback of her own, Wozniacki smiled and replied: “I don’t know. That’s a good question.”
Bouchard said Williams faced a daunting challenge by returning directly at Wimbledon without a warm-up event.
“I think it’s bonkers – in a good way,” Bouchard said.
“The fact that she hasn’t played a singles match in four years is pretty crazy to play the first one at Wimbledon.
“But if there’s anyone that can handle it, it’s Serena.”
(Writing by Ossian Shine; Editing by William Mallard)
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