Fears of second wash-out at Wimbledon

Tennis fans were left fearing the second wash-out of the first week at Wimbledon today after the start of play was delayed due to heavy rain.

Play had been due to start on the outside courts at 11.15am and on Centre and Court One at midday, but frequent showers meant that was impossible.

The covers briefly came off, but were almost immediately put back on again to the frustration of the thousands of fans who had queued overnight and from the early hours for tickets.

And with more persistent rain expected to hit SW19 during the afternoon, fears grew of a second wash out during the first week of this year’s tournament.

Wednesday became only the eighth day in the last 30 years to be completely washed out, with no play possible due to heavy rain.

Organisers were then left facing the prospect of having to refund around £1 million worth of tickets plus a backlog of matches to clear.

Better weather over the last two days appeared to have reduced the chance of play on the middle Sunday for only the second time in the last decade.

However, another wash-out today could yet force organisers to schedule play for tomorrow, in an attempt to finish the third round before the second week.

Most of the British tennis fans who turned up today had been hoping to see their hero, Tim Henman, in action on Centre Court.

They did get to see him take part in the start of the first Olympic Torch relay in Britain for more than 50 years, but it was looking increasingly unlikely that he would get to play his third round match against the Moroccan Hicham Arazi.

Henman had received the Olympic flame from four-minute mile legend Sir Roger Bannister on the steps of the Wimbledon clubhouse, before running with the torch through the grounds of SW19.

He passed his legion of fans on Henman Hill as he ran along a pathway lined with hundreds of the tournament’s ball boys and girls, stewards, police and firefighters.

Henman told the BBC: “It was incredible, an amazing experience and I am so grateful I was given the opportunity to do it.

“I had the Wimbledon weather as well, so it was the full experience.”

However, that looked like being the only time the Henmaniacs would see the British number one in action today as he was scheduled third on Centre Court after the matches involving both the men’s and women’s reigning Wimbledon champions.

Jeremy Plester, from the PA WeatherCentre, said there would be outbreaks of rain throughout the afternoon.

“There are going to be periods of rain, on and off, all afternoon,” he said. “I don’t think an awful lot of tennis is going to be played.”

Henman is the last Briton left standing at Wimbledon after the other four British hopefuls who made it through to the second round all crashed out yesterday, including Greg Rusedski.

Roger Federer was playing Thomas Johansson of Sweden today, while Serena Williams was playing the Spaniard Magui Serna.