Source: Telegraph
Floodlit Wimbledon: how was it for you?
It was when Garry Richardson walked on to the Centre Court shortly after 10.30pm on Monday to interview an exhausted Andy Murray before he had even made it to the locker room that you began to wonder whether Wimbledon was changing for ever. And not for the better, either.[LNB]Of course it was a great spectacle. Anyone coming home after work at 8pm or so and expecting to see the usual diet of mixed doubles from Court 14 involving a quartet of anonymous eastern Europeans was treated to a gladiatorial clash of epic proportions.[LNB] Related ArticlesCassandra Jardine: Wimbledon is still a smash hitJacqui Smith accused of breaching local election rules with terror announcementMillions given to tsunami sitting in bank accountsUN alert on sex and dance drugPaedophiles look for cover onlineNews emailBut it did seem odd to someone who lives in Wimbledon and can, therefore, testify to what a beautiful sunny evening it was that the match was being played after dark at all. The decision to use the All England Club's £80m roof for the first time had been taken in the previous match when there had been a spot or two of rain; but it need not have been kept on for the Murray match – and, since this is meant to be an outdoor sporting event, nor should it have been.[LNB]The roof ensured the game could be finished in prime television time, an additional bonus for the BBC, which cleared its schedules to continue coverage at the expense of the Ten O'clock News and was rewarded with a record audience for what was not even a quarter final.[LNB]Presumably, the urgent need to get on with the rest of its programmes led to the bizarre spectacle of Richardson wandering on to the Centre Court to bombard a bewildered Murray with his familiar litany of fatuous "how do you feel" questions. Cannot a sporting triumph be enjoyed for its own sake any more without being filtered through a proto-psychological interrogation? [LNB]What is happening to Wimbledon? On Monday night, John McEnroe, who was among the commentators, said he never thought he would live to see the day when the venerable club would host a match played under covers and with an electronic monitor to sort out disputed line calls.[LNB]Floodlit, covered tennis late into the night is terrific entertainment but it is not what the tournament is about, otherwise why not simply keep the roof on the showcase court all the time? As Murray said, it means playing in more humid conditions, the ball slows down and, over time, the grass would wear out more quickly. Soon, there could be suggestions that Wimbledon would be better without grass; after all, the other three major championships – the US, French and Australian – used to be played on grass but are no longer.[LNB]Of course Wimbledon has changed over the years: unnoticed by most, the scoreboards for women's matches have this year dropped "Miss" or "Mrs" before players' names; players don't wear long white trousers any more (they still wear white, mind you, though for how much longer?); improved racket technology enables modern players to make shots about which past champions could only have dreamed; and men and women are paid the same prize money.[LNB]But there used to be an old-fashioned gentility about Wimbledon that is rapidly disappearing. Until relatively recently, it was possible for those without show court tickets to get in to see matches on the outside courts and enjoy the atmosphere without having to queue for hours, something youngsters are prepared to do but their parents aren't.[LNB]The younger age profile has contributed to greater boisterousness. To see crowds routinely breaking into a Mexican wave while matches are still in progress is unnerving: it may be a way of keeping up spirits during a rain break, but isn't the tennis itself entertainment enough? [LNB]The dreaded wave has also intruded into Test cricket at Lord's, though it is invariably brought up short when it reaches the pavilion, since the members steadfastly refuse to join in. Nevertheless, cricket has already succumbed to the demotic (and financial) pressures of our times with the onset of Twenty20 and its razzmatazz, colour and nail-biting finishes. How long before a Test match is played under floodlights with a white ball, with all that entails for the conditions and the wicket? When you see Garry Richardson standing in the slips, microphone in hand, then we will know the game is up. [LNB]
