LONDON, July 3 — Frustrated fans were left wondering quite what was the point of Wimbledon’s £80 million (RM474 million) Centre Court roof today when Novak Djokovic’s match was delayed for over an hour as ball boys took to using leaf-blowers to dry the grass.

Defending champion Djokovic had just taken the first set 6-3 against Argentina’s Pedro Cachin when light rain took the players off and led to the roof being slid into place — a process that takes 10 minutes.

Fans and TV viewers expecting a quick resumption, however, were to be disappointed as, accompanied by tournament referee Gerry Armstrong, Djokovic patrolled the famous square of grass he has ruled for five years, dabbing a toe and a towel at areas he considered dangerously slippery.

While play resumed on Court One, it remained suspended on Centre, until, somewhat bizarrely, the roof, completed in a blaze of publicity in 2009, was re-opened and the match resumed after a 70-minute hiatus. — Reuters