After winning one set each, the game was suspended for the evening. The match referee, Alan Mills, told White she should reconsider her outfit choice so that the match could continue the next day.<\/p>\n

After the match, White said of her outfit: \u201cI had no idea it would be so controversial\u201d.<\/p>\n

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1985: Lightning hits Centre Court<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe first Monday of the 1985 competition was, quite literally, an explosive day of events after lightning struck the press centre. The centre was based in the new administrative building that had recently cost \u00a34 million to construct.<\/p>\n
Television footage shows the ball boys and girls jumping in shock as the lightning hit the foundations of the court. Spectators were lucky to miss the six large pieces of masonry that fell around 90ft onto those sat below. One such spectator told the Sarasota Herald Tribune<\/em> that the falling masonry \u201cmissed me by two feet. But it makes a lovely souvenir!\u201d<\/p>\n
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\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
1991: A wash out<\/h3>\n<\/div>\nAfter the first week of play of the 1991 Championships became known as one of the wettest first weeks in Wimbledon\u2019s history, this resulted in only 52 out of 240 games being played by Thursday evening. This pressured organisers to stage play on \u2018middle Sunday\u2019 \u2013 traditionally a day off in the Wimbledon calendar \u2013 for the first time in the championship\u2019s history.<\/p>\n
Spectators eagerly lined up for the \u00a310 top unreserved seats, forming a queue nearly two miles long. A total of 24,894 people attended the All England Lawn Tennis Club that day, with ticket holders able to watch numerous games, including a third-round match between Gabriela Sabatini and Andrea Strnadova, and match on court number one between three-time champion John McEnroe against Jean-Philippe Fleurian.<\/p>\n
Wet weather forced players to take to the court on \u2018middle Sunday\u2019 again in 1997.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
1996: Cliff Richard amuses the crowd<\/h3>\n<\/div>\nIn 1996, during rainy delays on Centre Court, Sir Cliff Richard, who was a spectator in the crowd, decided to raise spirits by delivering an improvised performance to the crowd. The singer appropriately chose \u2018Singing in the Rain\u2019, sung with the help of an unlikely choir made up of tennis stars Martina Navratilova, Virginia Wade, Gigi Fernandez, Conchita Martinez and Pam Shriver.<\/p>\n
Sir Cliff later said of the crowd: \u201cThey were magnificent, from the first moment. The reaction was stunning.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Sir Cliff Richard entertains the crowds as rain delays the matches at the 1996 Championships (Clive Brunskill\/Allsport UK\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
1996: Streaking shocks the crowds<\/h3>\n<\/div>\nThe 1996 men\u2019s single finalists, Dutch Richard Krajicek and American MaliVai Washington, weren\u2019t expecting an extra competitor on the court for their match. However, during the pre-match photograph, a female streaker \u2013 wearing only a small pinafore \u2013 ran across the court in front of a packed crowd.<\/p>\n
Reflecting on the event, the BBC\u2019s John Barrett said: \u201cI never thought I\u2019d see that on the Centre Court. The two boys hardly knew where to look\u201d.<\/p>\n
Read more | \u201cA nation addicted to gaming\u201d: the Georgians\u2019 crackdown on addictive betting<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>Maria Sharapova and Elena Dementieva found themselves in a similar predicament in 2006 when a male streaker invaded the court during their quarterfinal fixture. After jumping over the barrier immediately behind the umpire\u2019s chair and removing his shorts (but still wearing his socks and trainers), the streaker made his way onto the court, jumping up and down and cartwheeling across the court.<\/p>\n
Sharapova was not dazed by his appearance, however: she went on to win the second set, therefore winning the match in two straight sets.<\/p>\n
This article was first published by HistoryExtra in 2015<\/strong><\/em><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n
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