FACTBOX - Wimbledon's Centre Court roof

(Reuters) - Factbox on the new retractable Centre Court roof at Wimbledon which was tested for the first time at an exhibition event on Sunday.

DESIGN

* Plans for a new roof were unveiled in 2004. The old roof was demolished in 2007, meaning there was no cover on Centre Court at that year's championships.

* Architectural designers Populous, formerly known as HOK Sport, were also involved with Wembley Stadium, the O2 World Arena in Berlin and the new Yankee Stadium.

VITAL STATISTICS

* The roof is made of a lightweight, flexible fabric called Tenara that can fold up on huge trusses.

* It takes 10 minutes for the roof to close.

* The roof is 16 metres above the court surface, so only the highest lobs are in danger of hitting it.

* The air management system removes condensation from within the bowl and stops the grass sweating. Play can resume 30 minutes after the roof is closed.