Wimbledon cancelled for the first time since World War Two

FILE PHOTO: Raindrops are seen on an umbrella at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, in London June 30, 2014. REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett/File Photo

LONDON (Reuters) - The Wimbledon championships were cancelled for the first time since World War Two on Wednesday as the coronavirus pandemic struck another blue-riband sports event off the calendar and wiped out the entire tennis grasscourt season.

While the decision had looked inevitable for some time, since the virtual shutdown of world sport and the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics, Wimbledon had been one of the few events not to have been officially cancelled or postponed.