Leading up to this year’s Wimbledon all the talk has been about the new roof on Centre Court and the blessed reality that rain-filled days would no longer scupper everyone’s plans to watch some tennis.

Yet no one bargained for ice.

Just ask Novak Djokovic and Julien Benneteau, who provided the Centre Court crowd with thrills aplenty as both suffered some horrific looking falls on the increasingly slidey surface.

Benneteau earned several well-deserved ovations for the rowdy fans after requiring treatment for some heroic dives, and Djokovic was full of praise for his opponent after the match.

“He was fighting a lot and he deserved to be supported today,” the Serb told British TV.

Andy Murray plays last on Centre tomorrow, and will need to get his skates on against American Robert Kendrick. A long match is all the top players need in the early stages of a grand slam.

The fans weren’t the only ones making plenty of noise.

Screeches reverberated from Court One as Russian Maria Sharapova tried to outdo Portuguese teenager Michelle Larcher de Brito, who caused a storm at Roland Garros with her grunting.

De Brito was strangely quiet on Monday. “Well, I tried to be quiet for you guys today,’ she said in jest to reporters.

PHOTO: Julien Benneteau of France holds his knee during his match against Novak Djokovic of Serbia at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, June 22, 2009. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth