Wimbledon 2012: All England Club chief executive Richard Lewis working on masterplan up until 2020 His record at Wimbledon scores higher for perseverance than delivery: only once, in 11 attempts, did he go beyond the first round. But he was also a Davis Cup stalwart in the days when Great Britain were still genuine contenders (mainly because the rest of the world hadn't learnt to compete with the Grand Slam nations then). "The highlight of my career was probably the Davis Cup semi-final of 1981," he said. We had beaten New Zealand in New Zealand in the quarters, and then we went to Argentina just six months before the Falklands War broke out. It was a lively atmosphere, to say the least. At Wimbledon, Lewis has now been reunited with another member of that Davis Cup team - tournament referee Andrew Jarrett. It must be reassuring to see so many old friends at SW19, and to join a club that navigates the shoals of modern sport so smoothly. But there is a flip side to that swan-like serenity. Wimbledon fortnight is a little like the Royal Jubilee, in that any hitch in delivery from organisers, broadcasters or even participants is liable to be blown up into a major scandal. Rugby league, which enjoyed eight successful years under Lewis's management, does not suffer the same scrutiny. "The All England Club has a fantastic track record," said Lewis, "and that is a huge credit to my predecessors Ian Ritchie [who left to run the Rugby Football Union earlier this year] and Chris Gorringe. We always want to deliver continuous improvement. Although this is one of the few years where there hasn't been a major building project - largely because of the Olympics - we are working on a Wimbledon Masterplan to take us to 2020. According to Philip Brook, the All England Club chairman, the focus of this next phase of development will be on creating more space for everyone, from players to caterers. Given the physical limits of the Wimbledon site, that will mean underground excavation (and perhaps a few testy phone calls from local residents). "When we do have disruptive work, it's about communication - making sure everyone knows what's happening," Lewis said. Clearly, Wimbledon 2020 will be a big responsibility for the executive, but for the moment I've only just started so my focus is on settling in, observing and learning. Just like that first day at Wakefield, then. Except that, when Lewis goes on his first walkabout around the outside courts this week, no one will have to explain the rules.