Ben Shelton’s Wimbledon Match Interrupted by Darkness

Ben Shelton was set to compete in the Wimbledon Championships on Thursday, but, interestingly, he found himself waiting until the next day to finish the match.

The interruption came during his second-round match against Linky Hijikata, as play was halted due to fading light. At the time, Shelton was ahead with a score of 6-2, 7-5, 5-4. It’s safe to say he wasn’t pleased with the turn of events—play was called off around 9:29 PM local time, after both players had discussed stopping earlier in the match.

Things got a bit tense as Shelton approached the judge, requiring another official to intervene and calm him down.

Fortunately, Shelton and Hijikata returned to the court early Friday to resume play, and it didn’t take long for Shelton to secure his spot in the third round. “It was difficult,” he reflected. “At that point, we knew we were playing in conditions that weren’t ideal for tennis. I was just trying to find a way to adapt.” He added, “I came out today and did what I had to do.”

Despite the unexpected break, Shelton wasn’t entirely sure about his plans for the day. He contemplated practicing since it was a day off for him as a top-ranked player, but confessed, “I ended up warming up for only 30 minutes before the match. Spent more time preparing than actually playing.”

Next up for Shelton is a match against Hungary’s Merton Fossovick in the third round on Saturday. Last year, he reached the fourth round at Wimbledon and has also made it to the semi-finals in both Australia and the US.