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Ben Shelton faced an unexpected delay during his second-round match at the Wimbledon Championships on Thursday, as darkness forced the match to be suspended. Shelton was in a strong position, leading Rinky Hijikata with a score of 6-2, 7-5, 5-4 when play was halted at 9:29 p.m. local time. Frustrated by the decision, Shelton expressed his displeasure, having previously suggested that play should be stopped earlier in the match.
The following morning, both players returned to the court to complete the match, which took just one minute, allowing Shelton to secure his place in the third round. "It was difficult. At that point, we kind of knew we were playing in conditions that weren’t ideal for tennis," Shelton remarked post-match. "For me, it was like, ‘what’s one more game at that point?’ I understand the tournament has to make decisions, and we, as players, have to adapt."
Shelton dominated the match, not having been broken throughout, and felt confident heading back onto the court to finish his last service game. "I hadn’t been broken the whole match. Since my first set in the first round, I felt confident coming out here," he stated.
Reflecting on the peculiar circumstances of the day, Shelton noted the contrast between his extensive preparation and the brief match time. "It’s different. I warmed up for 30 minutes, then spent just one minute on the court. A lot more time was spent in preparation than in the actual match," he said.
Next up, Shelton will face Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics in the third round on Saturday. Last year, he reached the fourth round at Wimbledon, and he has previously made it to the semifinals in both the Australian and U.S. Opens.
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