Great washout has a silver lining: Tennis tomorrow!
First People’s Sunday since 2004 on cards after deluge
IT has already caused attendance to plummet and forced organisers to refund tickets.
Now rain could trigger a People’s Sunday for only the fourth time in Wimbledon history.
In stark contrast to last year’s heatwave, downpours interrupted yesterday’s play and raised the likelihood of matches being rescheduled for tomorrow – the tournament’s middle Sunday, which is usually a rest day.
No official announcement is expected until mid-afternoon today, and the decision will depend on how many matches have been completed by then. However the chance of showers this morning is likely to make schedulers anxious. Outside play usually begins at 11.30am, while the action starts on Centre Court and Number One Court – the major show courts – at 1pm.
Forecasters said there was a ‘reduced’ chance of rain, with any likely to fall before lunchtime. ‘The conditions at Wimbledon for the next few days are largely dry but with the chance of the odd shower,’ said Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge yesterday.
It follows a washout June, when 83.9mm (3.3in) of rain fell across the UK in the first 27 days – 14 per cent more than average. And Met Office forecasters are predicting unsettled conditions well into July, bringing a mixture of sunshine and showers.
Disrupted every day
A People’s Sunday at Wimbledon is only considered in drastic circumstances, with the last one 12 years ago.
It has previously happened just three times in the Championships’ history – in 1991, 1997 and 2004 – and generates a special atmosphere with all tickets available on the gate on the day.
Downpours have so far disrupted play every day this week except Monday. On the worst day, Wednesday, the rain delays were so prolonged that ticketholders were offered refunds.
More than 20 matches were cancelled yesterday, and tennis fans resorted to macs and waterproofs as they sat under gloomy skies in temperatures that struggled to reach 20C (68F). The scenes were markedly different from the 2015 tournament, when glorious sunshine at the start of July saw temperatures soar to a record 36.7C (98F) in London.
Overall attendance for the first four days of Wimbledon has been the lowest for nine years.
A total of 155,845 people came through the gates from Monday to Thursday this week – 16,706 fewer than last year and the lowest since the 148,986 recorded in 2007, according to official figures.
Thousands of ticket-holders failed to even show up on Tuesday and Wednesday. The All England Lawn Tennis Club said the reason for the decline was ‘the weather, obviously’.