Berry's love of Wimbledon and his knowledge of big-time tennis shine through in every paragraph. The players love it and fear it. They can feel Wimbledon in their stomachs a month before they get there. The ball, like their tennis fortunes, can kick in or slide away, changing directions in unexpected ways. The uncertainty is in the turf itself.
Feet make the game.
Clay courts and hard courts are safer roads. The footing is more sure there. The beauty of the grass is that it breathes. It is English. Hard courts are more like American highways, omnipresent, imposing, yet often cracking.