Wimbledon 2016: Play lined up for middle Sunday at SW19 for the first time in 12 years due to abysmal weather in London
THERE will be play at Wimbledon on ‘Middle Sunday’ this year for only the fourth time in history.
Shocking weather at SW19 has forced the hand of the All England Club, meaning that for the first time in 12 years, the tradition of a rest day on the first Sunday of the tournament will be scrapped.
The covers have been on at Wimbledon for much of the first week due to drizzle
The grounds have been plagued by frustrating bouts of drizzle all week long, with a heavy backlog of matches created.
A statement read: “The All England Club has confirmed that on account of the poor weather experienced to date in the first week, play will take place on Middle Sunday – 3 July – for the fourth time in Wimbledon’s history – previously 1991, 1997 and 2004.
“The move has been made in order to reduce the backlog of matches and to allow The Championships to finish as scheduled.”
Rain has wreaked havoc on SW19 all week long with matches postponed
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The brollies have been up for much of week one at Wimbledon’s ground
The announcement also confirmed – as no tickets were previously allocated for Sunday – that people can book a spot online on a first-come first-served basis and be a part of history.
The statement continued: “Tickets will only be available for purchase in advance online on a first-come first-served basis with a limit of two per household.
Fans at SW19 are relieved to have brought their umbrellas with them
“None will be available for sale on the day.
“The full details for the arrangements for Middle Sunday will be announced at 1pm on Saturday July 2.”
On top of breaking tradition to play on Sunday, the tournament officials were also forced to cut the length of the Gentlemen’s Doubles from five set matches to three set showdowns.
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