LONDON, June 23: Play at Wimbledon was abandoned at 1745 GMT on Wednesday without a ball being struck in anger, the first wash-out at the championships since 1999. Rain and blustery winds beset southwest London for the whole of the third day of the grass court grand slam and the covers never came off the courts at the All England Club.

Encouraged by British Met Office forecasts calling for fewer showers and some bright intervals later in the day, organisers announced several putative new start times but they came and went without any improvement in the weather.

Play was abandoned early because of the rain on Tuesday, while three hours of action was lost to the weather on the opening day of the tournament. With the first round yet to be completed, organisers have moved the start of play forward for Thursday and Friday.

Meanwhile, as rain continued to lash down on Wimbledon on Wednesday, bored players, frustrated organisers and soaked fans looked forward to the day when a roof will protect Centre Court from the elements.

The roof, long discussed, will become a reality in 2009, with plans for work to start as early as 2006, subject to planning permission. Tim Phillips, Chairman of the All England Club, said: "Our continuing aim is for Wimbledon to be acknowledged as the world's premier tennis event.

"Centre Court has been the jewel in our crown for over 80 years and the scene of some of the most memorable drama and emotion in tennis. -Agencies