Wimbledon's famous Centre Court has been steam cleaned to kill off any nasty pests lurking beneath the surface, head groundsman Neil Stubley said Tuesday.
The All England Club first trialled steam sterilising in 2017 and is now rolling it out around the courts.
The technique involves covering the grass with polytunnels, drilling holes into the soil and blasting in steam, as the club adapts its practices in response to climate change and environmental concerns.
"We're very conscious about pesticide usage now," said Stubley.
"We've started looking at alternatives to managing weeds, pests and diseases.
"We're looking at steam sterilising as part of our annual maintenance of the courts.
"As soon as you take that steam away, it's just cold water. There's no residual effect."
"It gives us a complete clean surface. Then we shave the top off and then we reseed it and grow it back in for the following year."
- Beauty of grass -
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"If you get a wet, damp day, the moisture in the air will naturally find its way into the plant and that becomes a little bit greasy. The beauty of grass is that you have to adapt to the environment."
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