As Novak Djokovic was one set into his first-round match against Pedro Cachin at Wimbledon, rain caused a significant delay. Despite the Centre Court’s roof swiftly coming into action, the playing surface became slippery with moisture; making it potentially dangerous for players.
Tournament Referee Gerry Armstrong took matters into his own hands – literally – and felt the court with his own hands to assess its playability. After ensuring the court was fit for action, he called on Djokovic and Cachin to do likewise. After all said and done, play resumed with a break of an hour plus.
With AI commentators being implemented this year for Wimbledon highlights, the human touch is still essential when assessing the playability of a court during wet weather.
As the temperatures rose at Wimbledon, so too did the anticipation of an eagerly-awaited match between Cachin and Djokovic. The two stars waited beyond 3pm in order to commence the match, with Djokovic seen joking around with his team and Armstrong near the entrance. Surreal as it may seem, Iga Swiatek had managed to complete her match earlier on No.1 court despite heavy rain conditions, raisng further questions for why a delay was still persisting on central court.
The retractable roof was designed to provide optimal playing conditions, yet cries of “get on with it” could be heard from the growingly impatient crowd. In attempt to lighten up the situation, Djokovic even brought out a towel to aid groundstaff in mopping up pooling rainwater. As if that wasn’t enough, leaf blowers were even brought into action – but this effort proved fruitless as the time began to tick away. Eventually, after a long wait, the match was able to resume with aplomb.