Storm over Wimbledon washout

Play is now 177 matches behind schedule - among them one featuring Rafael Nadal, who was today finishing a match which began on Saturday.

Officials are preparing for a third week of play as weather forecasters warned of the washout lasting beyond the weekend.

The tournament has been marred by empty seats as spectators stay away. And last night it descended into farce as police were called onto courts after spectators grew increasingly frustrated.

At one point officers put up "police - do not cross" tape around court three after former champions Maria Sharapova and Venus Williams were forced to play their delayed match there. It lasted barely a minute before the heavens opened, followed by thunder and lightning.

So far it has rained on seven of the eight days and means:

Champion Roger Federer has not hit a ball since last Friday.

His main challenger, Nadal, faces five matches in five days after a game which began on Saturday and was still waiting to be finished today.

Men's doubles matches will be cut from five sets to three.

Tournament officials are drawing up plans for play to be scheduled until next Wednesday for the first time since 1922.

Players have slammed the All England Club for not allowing play last Sunday, when the weather was fine.

Championship referee Andrew Jarrett is under increasing pressure to complete play on schedule because tennis stars are committed to other tournaments next week.

He said today: "It is utterly ghastly and of great concern. It is a serious situation, but we are looking at it on a daily basis and will do whatever we can to complete the championships on time."

Former Wimbledon champion John McEnroe accused org anisers of "bungling" their scheduling.

He said: "They didn't put Nadal first on, which I think has cost them. Right now I'm sitting here - admittedly it was thunder and lightning and pouring with rain when I came on at 7.30 - but now there is sun out and they could be playing right now.

"They could get this match finished with, but they haven't done so. It's been a bungling of scheduling going on here."

So far the rain has cost the club more than £1.2 million in refunds and the BBC has been forced to fill its live airtime with replays of previous matches.

A Wimbledon spokesman said: "We are in a desperate situation. If it rains today we are in serious trouble."

The men's final has only been played on a Monday twice before - in 1988 and 2001 - and play has never gone on until a third Wednesday since 1922. Another problem is waterlogged car parks which officials fear will lead to cars getting stuck in the mud.