Agassi, Graf usher in a new era at Wimbledon

Roof over Centre Court

The match marked the inauguration of the sliding roof over the Centre Court, ensuring that play continues even in times of adverse weather.

"The roof is good news for the BBC and broadcasters around the world because the guarantee of continuous coverage is like gold dust," Paul Davies, the executive producer of BBC TV's Wimbledon coverage, said. "But one of the few downsides is that for the first time we may have to consider an overrun to evening schedules. Before the roof, it was not possible for play to last much after nine; now, though, we could be there past midnight."

The event marked the end of Wimbledon's 132 years as a tournament played exclusively outdoors. In 1877 they had the technology for massive, overarching roofs but they were reserved for things such as train sheds. Sport in that era did not warrant such expensive accessories.

Now, of course, sport is the marvel that trains once were. A combination of the luminaries involved and the chance to watch the first match under the engineering wonder meant the 15,000 tickets, at £35 a pop, for the show sold out last March in five minutes.
For their money, the punters were also treated to musical entertainment by, among others, Katherine Jenkins, the Welsh warbler who is the queen of singing under a retractable roof since establishing herself as the favourite of rugby crowds at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

In time, the gently sliding addition to Centre Court will no doubt become an unremarkable part of the Wimbledon scene, but for the moment it is a topic for much discussion with television's unbridled enthusiasm not shared by everyone.