TENNIS/Wimbledon roof plans: Wimbledon is to abandon 81 rain-swept years of history by installing a roof over Centre Court. In a move intended to protect profits as well as players, the All England Club announced yesterday that a retractable roof would be in place over the most famous court in tennis by 2009.

The decision to install the roof, which will be the centrepiece of a major redevelopment of the Wimbledon complex, was motivated by the increasing demands of the television networks that bankroll the tournament.

Rain delays have always been a feature of the two-week championships, with some considering the sight of ground staff rushing the covers onto the courts as part of its idiosyncratic charm.

Television networks are less sentimental, however, and in recent years several of Wimbledon's biggest investors, including US giant NBC, have become less willing to tolerate the delays. They have put the All England Club under discreet pressure to ensure it delivers live tennis.

The championships are watched by 1.8 billion people in 131 countries, but that audience is not guaranteed. Last year's final between American Andy Roddick and the Swiss Roger Federer was watched by the lowest ever US audience, 13 per cent down on the previous year.

As well as guaranteeing that at least three top matches are completed each day and that the championships finish on schedule on the first Sunday in July, the roof should ensure Cliff Richard never again gets the chance to "entertain" the Centre Court crowd during rain delays.

Announcing the plans to club members and the media, the All England Club chairman, Tim Phillips, acknowledged that Wimbledon had to adapt to retain its position in the sporting calendar.

"In this day and age, when it does rain it is very frustrating for everybody, not least the television audience," he said.

"We have been mindful of this for many years and have looked for a solution. Around 1.8 billion people watch the championships, so a lot of people are inconvenienced when it rains. We have a close working relationship with the television companies and over the years they have said it will be nice to have a roof. It does mean we may be in a position to charge \ more to cover the championships."

The architecture firm HOK - who designed Stadium Australia for the Olympic Games in Sydney, the new Wembley Stadium and the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff - have spent three years working on the plans.

Rod Sheard, a senior practitioner at HOK, described it as "massively technically demanding". The roof, which will be made of translucent material and built in two sections, will be suspended 17 metres above the court. The sections will fold in on themselves like a concertina or the panels on an umbrella.

Because the hydraulic mechanism will take 10 minutes to close the roof, the court will still need to covered when the rain starts - but it is hoped play will be able to resume within 40 minutes.

The greatest benefit will be felt in the second week of the championship when the bulk of matches are held on Centre or No 1 Court. Centre Court will also be fitted with lights, allowing matches close to completion to finish when natural light fails.

The biggest challenge to the designers was to ensure the roof did not hamper the growth of the grass, and that the climate inside remained comfortable for players and spectators. Sheard said the roof would improve the quality of the grass, as it could be positioned to allow more sunlight onto the court than is currently possible.

HOK also had to tackle the threat of condensation on the roof. Court temperatures are expected to be around 24 degrees with 50 per cent humidity, considerably warmer than it has been at times during recent championships.

The roof is part of an extensive redevelopment of the court, which will see new bars, dining areas, terraces and suites added to the complex built in 1922. Work will begin in 2006, but will pause during the championships.

The All England Club is notoriously secretive about its finances - even its members have not been told how much the roof will cost - but informed estimates range from £25 million to more than £100 million. The club will fund the scheme largely from its debenture programme, which raises £15 million annually.

British number one Tim Henman, who lost a rain-affected three-day semi-final against Goran Ivanisevic in 2001, echoed the All England Club's pragmatism. "The players would obviously prefer each day to be fine but they are very professional and recognise we have to look after the paying customers," he said.

Guardian Service