WIMBLEDON, England (AP) – Wimbledon organizers scheduled play on the middle Sunday for only the third time in the tournament’s 127-year history as rain washed out all matches for the second time this week.

A steady drizzle delayed the start of play at 11:15 a.m. and continued all afternoon. Organizers waited until 6:35 p.m. to call off all matches.

Earlier, All England Club chief executive Christopher Gorringe announced that play will be held Sunday – traditionally a rest day in the two-week championships – to reduce the backlog.

The last time that happened was in 1997, after no matches were played on the Thursday and Friday of the first week because of rain. The only other time matches were held on the middle Sunday was in 1991.

“Ultimately it’s the club that makes the decision, but obviously we need to work with a lot of key people like the police and like the local authority,” Gorringe said. “It’s obviously a huge inconvenience for a lot of people.”

Rain delayed play on Monday and Tuesday, and all matches were wiped out Wednesday in the first Wimbledon washout since 1997.

On Sunday, a total of 28,000 tickets – 11,000 for Centre Court, 10,000 for Court 1 and 7,000 for the outside courts – will be on sale at the gates on a first-come, first-served basis. Play is scheduled to begin on all courts at 11 a.m.

“We know the neighbors are not keen on us playing on the middle Sunday,” Gorringe said. “We realize we live in a residential area. This is something which we … have never wanted to do, but we’re having to do it in order to try to conclude the championships on schedule, which is our main aim.”

The decision clears the way for another so-called “People’s Sunday” – with Wimbledon packed with thousands of fans who wouldn’t normally have access to tickets. Prices are $64 for tickets on Centre Court, $55 for Court 1 and $27 for the outside courts.

“I think it’s good for Wimbledon because it so often brings a different type of person to the championships, which is good,” Gorringe said. “The experiences which we’ve had in the past have been very, very good. It should be very interesting and a good day tomorrow. Much younger.”

Tournament referee Alan Mills had instituted earlier start times since Thursday, moving it up by one hour each day. Men’s doubles have been reduced to best-of-three sets until the quarterfinals.

Most of the initial backlog was erased Thursday and Friday, with the tournament only six singles matches behind schedule after five days.

With the rain out, the tournament was about 120 matches behind schedule, Mills said. So far, 262 matches have been completed.

But the tournament was still ahead of 91 and 97. Some men and women have already reached the fourth round in singles. Only 163 matches had been finished after Saturday in 1997, and only 210 in 1991.

If no matches were played Sunday, Mills said, some women would have to play on each of the first four days of next week and have only one day off between the semifinals and final.

“I think in this sort of championship that’s asking a little bit too much,” he said.

Organizers hope to complete all third-round matches Sunday.

“We are very optimistic that we are going to get the majority of the day fine so we can play,” Mills said.

The forecast for the next few days was for clearer weather but with occasional showers.

The only action Saturday was a ceremony for the Olympic torch relay, which began its eight-hour trip through London under steady drizzle at Centre Court.

With the grass-court covered by a green tarpaulin, plans to parade the torch around the court were canceled. Instead, the flame was lit in the Royal Box. Roger Bannister – who ran the world’s first sub-4-minute mile 50 years ago – held the torch aloft to loud cheers from about 9,000 fans huddled under umbrellas.

Bannister handed off to Tim Henman, who jogged through the grounds along a route lined by ball boys and girls, court stewards, police and firefighters. He ran past “Henman Hill,” a grassy slope where his fans gather to watch his matches on a big screen if they don’t have court tickets.

Henman – who was scheduled to play Hicham Arazi – passed the torch to Virginia Wade, the last British player to win the singles title at the All England Club in 1977. Henman bowed and Wade curtsied before leaving the tennis complex as the flame continued on the rest of its 30-mile journey through London.

AP-ES-06-26-04 1351EDT