At Centre Court, Novak Djokovic and Pedro Cachin’s first-round match was put on hold due to a slippery surface that had caused concern for players. Even with the roof providing shelter over the court, moisture on the grass caused an unsettling delay of over an hour with Wimbledon referee Gerry Armstrong conducting a hand test before allowing play to resume.
Djokovic and Cachin had to wait for over an hour after 2.20pm before being allowed back on the court, with Djokovic entertaining himself in the locker room and joking around with his team and Armstrong as they waited. The match eventually resumed beyond 3pm, a reminder of the unpredictable nature of Wimbledon – even if AI commentators are this year providing commentary.
Normally closing the roof when it starts to drizzle is routine at Wimbledon – but this time a malfunction had occurred.
The crowd quickly grew restless as the players waited for the issue to be resolved. Djokovic attempted to lighten the mood by bringing out a towel in a mock attempt to mop up the rain – much to the delight of the spectators. After more than an hour of delays, workers with leaf blowers were finally able to help dry the court enough for the match to resume.
The strange pause brought an abrupt halt to a day that began with Iga Swiatek of Poland wrapping up her 6-1, 6-3 win over Lin Zhu on No 1 Court after the roof there had been successfully closed.