Novak Djokovic helps dry damp court after lengthy delay to first-round Wimbledon match against Pedro Cachin

Novak Djokovic took matters into his own hands after the grass on Centre Court took longer than expected to dry as rain showers blighted day one at Wimbledon. Djokovic, who is bidding for a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title, saw his first-round match against Pedro Cachin suspended after the first set due to rain. Ad As it was only spitting it didn’t look like the rain would cause a long delay.

Wimbledon'It's something I really want' — Alcaraz eyes Wimbledon final against DjokovicA DAY AGO However, when the roof had been closed and the players returned around 25 minutes later they were unhappy with some damp patches on the court. An announcement from the chair umpire said: “The court is taking longer than expected to dry. We hope to resume play as soon as possible.” Looking to speed things up, Djokovic got his towel and started to mop up some of the water.

He even joked with members of his team and the crowd to “blow, we need your help”. The arrival onto the court of ground staff with leaf blowers was greeted by applause and a huge smile by Djokovic. However, it was still not an easy fix and the ground staff continued to work on the problem areas more than an hour after the last point had been played.

Eventually it was decided to open the roof again to help with the situation. And finally, after about a 90-minute delay, play resumed on Centre Court. Djokovic has won the last four editions of Wimbledon and another victory would move him level with Roger Federer on eight titles.