London - Wimbledon officials said Tuesday that there are no plans to change the daytime format of the Championships but refused to categorically rule out future play under the new lights which make their debut at this summer's edition.

The upcoming tournament will mark the initiation of the new moveable roof which will allow at least one match to continue when the inevitable rain arrives.

The 1,000-tonne monster covering 5,200 square metres will open and close in less than 10 minutes.

The system will have a trial run on May 17 when Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, Tim Henman and Kim Clijsters play in front of a sell-out crowd.

"Wimbledon will continue to be an outdoor daytime tennis event," said club boss Tim Phillips. But chief executive Ian Ritchie put another spin on that statement, hinting that late nights could become a part of the fabric if necessary.

"We don't want to see night time tennis and we hope and believe that that the matches would finish in daytime hours, but if they don't, we'll close the roof and finish them.

"There is an obligation for the people here in person and the millions watching on television. But we need to provide consistent conditions for the players. If a match starts with it shut it will finish with it shut."

The roof project also added 1,200 extra, larger centre court seats this year for a total capacity of 15,000.

After any roof closure, it will take another half an hour for humidity and internal conditions to stabilise, officials said during Tuesday's annual tournament preview.

Club officials also said that the event would remain true to its grass-court mission.

"We've got inclination, time and resources to prepare grass court properly," said Phillips. "As players complain about the wear and tear on their bodies from playing on hard courts, it's important to preserve the tradition of playing on grass. After all the sport is called Lawn Tennis." (dpa)