Plans to build a retractable roof over Wimbledon's Centre Court are expected to be unveiled at the All England Club on Tuesday.

After years of rejecting the idea of having a roof, organisers of the grasscourt Grand Slam seem to have relented to meet television demands.

Rain has completely washed out play on five days since 1991 and during the 2003 championships, competitors were left playing a waiting game in the locker rooms after incessant showers frequently halted play during the second week.

With fans frustrated at the constant delays and broadcasters left to delve into their archives to fill in precious television airtime, Wimbledon organisers look set to follow in the footsteps of the Australian Open.

"Tennis has to change... no one can stay still for long these days and television money talks extremely loudly," triple Wimbledon champion Boris Becker said recently.

"I am a traditionalist, I love Wimbledon for what it has always been and will always be to me but I cannot be blind to the future.

"How can tennis survive if it has eight hours of live television space to fill and nothing is happening?"

The Melbourne Park event, which gets underway on January 19, is the only Grand Slam which already uses a retractable roof but that tournament is played on a Rebound Ace surface.

According to media reports, the All England Lawn Tennis Club has been working with an American company to examine the feasibility of putting a roof over the Centre Court.

CLIMATE CONTROL

However, the main concern has been the problem of allowing the grass to grow naturally under a covered court and keeping dew off the surface during evening play.

The Halle Open grasscourt event has a retractable roof and allows play to continue almost immediately after the rain comes down.

Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, venue for soccer and rugby matches, staged last May's FA Cup final under a roof.

All England Club chairman Tim Phillips said last year: "We know that it is physically possible to build a roof and we owe it to tennis fans to investigate all the possibilities for play to take place even if it is raining.

"The real issue is, if you put one up what does that micro-climate create in the way of dew on the playing surface? We have got top athletes who are trying to twist and turn on the grass.

"We are also concerned about the way the grass grows. We are doing tests on this, we have commissioned quite a lot of testing in the States."