Paris: Roland Garros will eventually get a showcourt with a roof, French Open general director Jean-Francois Vilotte said on Thursday.

A retractable roof to deal with capricious skies is a necessity but it will probably not be ready before the 2011 tournament, Vilotte said.

Rain washed away all but 14 matches on the opening two days of the claycourt Grand Slam, frustrating fans, players and broadcasters alike.

World number one Roger Federer reacted by saying he wanted organisers to follow the example of the Australian Open and Wimbledon by building a roof over a showcourt.

“The first few days of the tournament, with heavy showers, have demonstrated the interest of having both a larger stadium and a centre court with a retractable roof to limit scheduling problems,” Vilotte said. (Reuters)