Wimbledon chiefs mull over 2nd covered court

PanARMENIAN.Net - Wimbledon chiefs are seriously considering the possibility of a second covered court at the All England Club.

The retractable roof on Centre Court was completed in 2009 and was heavily used during a rainy fortnight at Wimbledon this year, and All England Club chairman Philip Brook admitted a roof on Court One was an attractive proposition.

The completion of the new 2000-capacity Court Three marked the end of a 15-year development cycle, and All England Club will now weigh up the benefits of installing a roof on Court One. The cost of fitting a retractable roof on Court One will be much smaller than the estimated £100 million the redevelopment of Centre Court cost, although Brook admitted the "economic argument" for a second covered court was not as strong.

"It's a desirable thing to have if it rains as it gives a second court to broadcast from and a second group of happy customers," he said in the Daily Mail. "But it will cost a lot of money and the economic argument is not as strong as building the initial roof on the Centre Court."