Highlights of 2009: Murray Wins Under Lights at Wimbledon

The roof would ruin the atmosphere, it would change the nature of grass court tennis, it would make life difficult for the players, Andy Murray didn’t like it either. One dramatic late-evening fourth-round match later, only Murray and a few traditionalists were left grumbling, as a new Wimbledon tradition was born. Murray’s win over Stanislas Wawrinka finished at 10:38pm, with 12 million viewers on BBC television, and many more around the world.

Murray serving under the new roof on Centre Court

The new roof somehow added something to the atmosphere, building a sense of occasion, as the lights lit up the court, whilst the rest of SW19 lay in darkness. We can expect many more of these nights to come, but this will always be remembered as the start, and the All England Club deserve credit for being proactive and forward thinking, something they are not always associated with.