Wimbledon Roof Opens New World

Never can a roof have been so serenaded. At 2.41pm, as the chanteuses ­Katherine Jenkins and Faryl Smith gave a full-throated rendering of Amazing Grace, the Centre Court's new canopy began the sedate crawl that transformed the great outdoor arena into an indoor one. Seven minutes and four seconds later, ­according to the lady with the stopwatch behind me, the two leaves clamped together and the crowd of 15,000, who had been joined by two trapped pigeons, applauded joyously.

We might not be able to win the damned tournament but my we know how to give our foreign friends who do a great place to play. Adding to the surreality of the occasion was the fact that the roof closed under a murky but rainless sky. Never mind, though, that we had to imagine stair rods hammering on the outside for this was simply the ceremonial unfolding of the massive fabric awning – nearly half the size of Wales or some such – and also a test run before the 2009 championships start on 22 June.