Wimbledon will host a test event under Centre Court's new retractable roof in May, just over a month before the 2009 edition of the leading tennis tournament starts.
Ground owners the All England Club said they "confirmed its intention to hold a ticketed event open to the public in the Centre Court ahead of The Championships 2009, in order to test the new roof and air conditioning system.
The event is scheduled for Sunday, May 17 2009, with match details, timings and ticket sales to be announced at a later date.
Wimbledon, the last of tennis's four 'majors' to be played on grass, is perennially plagued by rain delays and the aim of installing the sliding roof on its show-piece court should prevent a backlog of matches occurring during the tournament.
The 2009 tournament is due to take place between June 22-July 5.
