Rain, Rain Simply Will Not Go Away

Playing tennis in England in summer means playing a waiting game. Competitors hoping to have a chance to play at Wimbledon this year are finding that dealing with the rain, and the waiting, is as challenging as any Centre Court match.

For only the second time in tournament history, rain postponed all matches Friday for the second consecutive day. The only other time was in 1909, also on the Thursday and Friday of the first week.

It is the worst start ever to Wimbledon.

The focus for the last few days has been on the fans, but it has been the players--denied the opportunity to channel their energies into matches--who have suffered.

During Friday’s wait in vain for the rain to stop, the competitors’ tea room was jammed with bored players and coaches distractedly picking at food. Backgammon tournaments had been organized, card games were under way and competing music was blaring. The indoor practice courts are reporting a brisk business.

Things were so bleak that 14th-seeded Tim Henman of Britain was pried out of the players’ lounge to speak with reporters.

“There’s only a certain amount of practices you can have, games of backgammon you can have,” he said. “So moving on to a press conference must be a last resort. Don’t take it personally.”

Henman is one of the lucky ones. He has completed his first-round match. Six men’s first-round matches and 26 women’s have yet to be completed.

He has been passing time by losing to U.S. Davis Cup Coach Tom Gullikson at backgammon and doing a whole lot of sitting around. Henman said players were mostly making a great effort to relax and not think about the tedium.

“It isn’t great for us,” he said. “But I do feel particularly sorry for all the people that are outside, because it is so frustrating for them. Standing out in the rain is probably not what they wanted.”

Everywhere, nerves are frayed.

For the long-suffering fans braving the weather in the stands, the enthusiasm for singing has waned. The songs, when they are raised, have deteriorated into the realm of bawdy pub tunes.

The optimism of club officials, who say a decision on whether matches will be scheduled for the traditional off Sunday will be made today, has faded. When the schedule for the next day’s play is distributed, it’s now called, “Tomorrow’s Wish List.”

The public-address announcement at the Southfields tube station, the public transport gateway to Wimbledon, no longer advises travelers where to find the bus to the take them up Church Road to the tennis. Friday’s announcement was, “Welcome to the All England Water Polo Championships.”

Venus Williams is still waiting to be welcomed. Her first-round match was scheduled to be played Monday. There has been great interest in Williams, who is making her Wimbledon debut at 17. Special interest has been paid to the beads she wears in her braided hair.

As is necessary for the upkeep of the hairstyle, Williams has changed the beads. In honor of Wimbledon’s colors, she has chosen purple and green.

One London newspaper investigated the potential for problems should Williams’ beads spring loose during play and litter the court. The Women’s Tennis Assn. rule regarding “hindering” was dug up. Suddenly, before she had set foot on the court, Williams was mired in controversy.

“It all started, I looked in the paper, and it said, ‘Venus has been warned’ and that never happened,” Williams said. “So I asked an official at the WTA and she just told me that they would just play the ‘let’ rule for the first few times and it would be a point.

“But really, if a bead files off . . . no one is going to be looking at my hair. If my opponent is looking at my hair, there would be a problem, they wouldn’t be interested in playing tennis. If a bead flies off, it is so small you’re really not going to notice it. The umpire might tell the ball boy to pick it up. It’s not even a disturbance.”

Not like the rain.

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* FEATURED MATCHES, C12