Wimbledon fans may have to battle through rain to watch day two
The Met Office predicted occasionally heavy rain across the south on Tuesday.
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Your support makes all the difference.Fans who missed out on watching live tennis after increased security checks left the Wimbledon queue in chaos may have to battle through rain for another chance to spectate on the tournament’s second day.
The Met Office has forecast occasionally heavy rain across the south on Tuesday.
Home fans are sure to brave the grey weather to watch Andy Murray play fellow Briton Ryan Peniston on Centre Court.
Cameron Norrie will face Tomas Machac from the Czech Republic on Court One.
British colleagues Katie Boulter, Heather Watson, George Loffhagen and Sonay Kartal will also take to the courts on Tuesday.
On the first day of the tournament, some spectators who had visited Wimbledon in previous years said the queue was the “worst” they had seen.
Organisers said extra checks – put in place over over concerns about protests – were to blame for the slow queue.
A spokesperson for the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) said there was “high demand” from queuers on Monday and thanked them for their “patience and understanding”.
They added: “Understandably, our security team on the gates are conducting an enhanced bag check operation.
“While there has been a steady stream of guests entering the grounds since gates opened at 10am, entry via the queue has been at a slower rate than in previous years as a result of these checks.”
The club’s chief executive, Sally Bolton, earlier told reporters that security arrangements had been boosted after climate change group Just Stop Oil (JSO) disrupted the second Ashes Test at Lord’s, the Gallagher Premiership rugby final at Twickenham and the World Snooker Championship.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman will hold talks on Wednesday with senior sporting figures and police leaders on protecting Wimbledon and other events this summer from disruptive protests.
Event organisers and national sporting bodies will meet Ms Braverman and Sports Secretary Lucy Frazer to discuss the JSO and Animal Rising groups.
Ms Bolton told journalists that security measures included a “100% bag search” and “selective body search” at all gates – the latter of which will be conducted “on the basis of intelligence”.
Chalk dust or powder substances have been banned this year. They were not listed as prohibited items in 2022.
Ms Bolton added: “We are really confident in the measures that we’ve taken but I think, as we’ve seen at other sporting events, we can’t guarantee anything – but we’re extremely confident that the measures we’ve got in place are the right measures and we are ready to deal with something if it happens.”
She also said the club is working with behavioural detection officers from the Metropolitan Police.
“They’re not a new thing this year. We have them every year. So again they’re part of our operation this year and in a slightly enhanced way and maybe looking for slightly different things than they would in any other year,” she said.
Monday also saw play suspended on some courts after rain poured down in south-west London in the afternoon.
There were farcical scenes on Centre Court as ground staff used leaf blowers to try to dry the surface so Novak Djokovic and Pedro Cachin could resume play, which they eventually did after a delay of almost 90 minutes.
British players Jodie Burrage, Liam Broady and Jan Choinski all made it to the second round after winning their matches on Monday.
The championships will run until July 16.
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