Wimbledon farce as Novak Djokovic match delayed due to damp Centre Court

It sometimes happens that weather radar fails to pick up threats, and play has to be stopped – but usually the umpire is faster off the mark in halting play than on this occasion. Djokovic spoke to Renaud Lichtenstein – the man in the chair – late in the first set about the fact that the court was getting wet, but Lichtenstein insisted that the set should be finished (with Djokovic claiming it 6-3). 

We were expecting possible delays to Wimbledon’s Centre Court programme as a result of Just Stop Oil protests – but in fact it was the weather, combined with organisational ineptitude, that created the problem on this occasion. 

While the spectators grumbled on Centre Court, neighbouring Court No1 had closed the roof, finished a match, held a post-match interview, and started another match. At the time of writing – 3.19pm – play had been suspended for an hour. 

While Djokovic would be keen to finish the match, he also knows the only way he can fail to score a victory here against Cachin – and possibly in the tournament as a whole – would be to sustain an injury. So he will not be rushing back until the grass is pristine.