to wonder why tennis players don't get up earlier, start the match at a decent hour and save all that faffing with the roof?

[AtYourCervix]

What an almighty, boring waste of time.

Why not just start playing at 9 or 10am instead of lunchtime?

Lazy bastards.

It's not the tennis players, it's all the toffs in the Royal box that don't want to finish their lunch early.

If it was on during the day I couldn't watch so I for one am really pleased that this match is on now!

They practise in the mornings.

I don't understand why they need a roof to switch the lights on.

The lights were on - not good enough for Murray's opponent, seemingly.

I agree, start at 10 o clock

I think they do it so people can watch it, rather than it all happen whilst they're at work. I'm bloody bored though, tennis is soooooo dull!

I wouldn't be able to watch at 10 o' clock. Work sort of gets in the way.

Damp grass, tradition and sponsors lunches.
The later make my blood boil, the number of empty seats at 1pm and around tea time is disgraceful!

The roof has to be closed at some time like 9pm or 9:30 if play continues as I understand it's a condition relating to noise affecting the local area. IE cuts it down to permitted levels. So I was told.

Boring. Boring. Boring.

Andy has a nice arse though.

DH is penning a complaint to the bbc about them rearranging the schedule.

He does it every year.

To do with getting all the people in to watch and them not getting involved in travelling in rush hour?

Prob just tradition TBH.

As suggested above - Its all to do with TV Ratings.
Andy is alway on last - gives the BBC its biggest audience when people get home from work.
Nothing to do with lunch!

I always thought it was to give their bodies as much time as possible to rest? Especially if they've had a series of long matches over the week. That and warming up time. The first semi final also was quite a long one.

For the current start time, the staff need to be in between 6-7 am. I don't think it can be brought forward, really.

If they started earlier they could get to bed at a decent hour.

am actually rather enjoying this, it's quite exciting but don't tell H

I like that it is on after work.

Have had it on all this week

The dew on the grass needs to dry out I think?

Fryonefatmaniac> but roof doesn't cut out the noise from Henmans Hill/ murray mound or whatever its called these days who are prob as noisy if not more than centre court

I just hope Sunday doesn't clash with the F1

Play on the outside courts starts at 11.30am. Reasonable, as some people travel a long way to get to SW19 for the day.

Play on Centre & Court 1 doesn't start until 1pm due to corporate hospitality.

So, YABU - it ain't the players, it's the finance that stuffs things.

Am certain that all players would be 100% happy to start at 11.30am

The roof isn't closed to stop the noise. There was no roof until 2009 and they played until poor light stopped play whatever time that was. There its no time when they have to close the roof by and that its why Murray was cross because matches had gone on later. They close the roof so that play can go on until 11 and then they have to stop due to local noise laws. In the past play had to resume the next day.

ChazDingle Fri 05-Jul-13 22:31:42
Fryonefatmaniac> but roof doesn't cut out the noise from Henmans Hill/ murray mound or whatever its called these days who are prob as noisy if not more than centre court

I know, but I understand it was a council condition for the planning permission.

Wimbledon gets loads of money from US TV networks.That is another reason for the late start.