Wimbledon keeps Sunday a day of rest

LONDON—Wimbledon bosses have snubbed the idea of scheduling play on the middle Sunday, despite the rain that played havoc with last year’s championships.
The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTCC) admitted Tuesday there were strong arguments in favour of making “People’s Sunday” permanent but thought it would dilute the schedule quality of regular match days. The Championships have regularly run into the middle Sunday due to bad weather at the tour’s grass court Grand Slam tournament, which this year runs from June 23 to July 6.
“A 13-day schedule, we feel, is about the right amount of time to get value of matches,” AELTCC chief executive Ian Ritchie told a press conference at the south-west London club. “After last year, we still feel that the same set-up will continue. We see no need for change in 2008.”
Top players, including Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, slammed the club for not scheduling play on the middle Sunday in 2007 — the wettest Wimbledon in 25 years. Club chairman Tim Phillips admitted playing an extra Sunday would be good for increasing television viewers, but said it was not deemed necessary to increase Wimbledon’s presence.
Wimbledon chiefs are conscious of the competition from other sporting events such as the football European Championships and the Olympics this year and hope their long-running redevelopment plan will ensure it remains an attractive tournament. Phillips said renovations were on schedule, including the retractable fabric Centre Court roof that will enable play to continue through the rain.
“Through the new Centre Court facilities and the increased use of digital technology, we want to ensure that Wimbledon remains the tournament the players want to win and that, internationally, everyone wants to watch,” he said. After a year off, the fixed roof is now back on Centre Court and the first of the two 70-tonne, 75-metre wide trusses to hold up the folding roof was winched into place Tuesday.
The famous court’s capacity has gone up from 13,808 to 15,000 with the addition of six extra rows at the top as part of the roof redevelopment. New digital scoreboards will be deployed on Centre Court and Court 1, combining scores, Hawk-Eye graphics, live and recorded video plus a wealth of statistics.
The club has no plans for night matches using the floodlights necessary under the retractable roof — which might suit broadcasters in other time zones — saying they needed to consult the players. “We are still fundamentally an outdoor summer event,” said Ritchie. The rickety Court 13 show court has been replaced by a new Court 2, rising 3.5 metres above the ground and sunk the same distance down, which will be ready for play in 2009.—Agencies