“Absolutely Absurd” – Fans Fume as Wimbledon Play Suspended When Ben Shelton Served for Match

Ben Shelton is searching for his first title of the season at Wimbledon where he lost in the fourth round last year.

“Absolutely Absurd” – Fans Fume as Wimbledon Play Suspended When Ben Shelton Served for Match

Ben Shelton (Image via X/Roland Garros)

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Ben Shelton lost his cool and started to argue with umpire Nacho Forcadell when his second-round clash at Wimbledon on Thursday (July 3) was suspended. He was up against Rinky Hijikata who lost the first two sets 6-2, 7-5.

Shelton was then on the verge of knocking out the Aussie as he had three match points in the third set, but he failed to convert them. But before the third set, Shelton approached the umpire to ask if play could be halted due to darkness and he was also concerned about grass becoming too slippery.

If there’s no chance of finishing the third set, it’s slick in the back there. If there’s no chance of finishing the third set without it being too slippery? Yesterday it was 9.15 pm, huh? So we have 35 minutes?

Ben Shelton asked

He was about to serve for the match at 5-4 when, due to the bad light, the play was suspended. This frustrated the American as he now has to return on Friday to resume the play, maybe just for one game. Amid the argument, supervisor Ali Nili too stepped in.

Both the players are chasing their first titles of the season at Wimbledon. While Shelton is the winner of two titles in his career, the 24-year-old has yet to claim a trophy. The World No.10 won the 2023 Japan Open and the US Men’s Clay Court Championships last year.

Shelton is the highest seed still playing in this draw because seventh seed Lorenzo Musetti suffered an opening-round exit against Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili. The Italian ace was one of the five top 10 players losing in the early rounds of this event.

Fans slam Wimbledon for suspending Ben Shelton’s match

Because of Wimbledon’s 11 pm curfew and stopping the game due to bad light, the tournament always found itself at the receiving end of criticism, especially when the matches were halted at crucial moments. They think Ben Shelton should have been given the chance to play at least that 10th game.

Ben Shelton (2)
Ben Shelton (Image via X/The Tennis Letter)

Check out their reactions here:

Shelton has faced Hijikata once- in the fourth round of the Mallorca Open, which he won in straight sets. Before his match against Shelton, Hijikata knocked out Belgium’s David Goffin.

Shelton went past Alex Bolt in straight sets to kick-start his Wimbledon campaign. He has not yet reached the final of the grass-court Major.

Shelton produced his best performance at Wimbledon when he reached the fourth round last year. World No.1 Jannik Sinner was the reason behind his exit.

Shelton has not yet reached a Grand Slam final. He was the semifinalist at the US Open in 2023 and had also made the last four of this year’s Australian Open, losing both to eventual winners Novak Djokovic and Sinner, respectively.

Shelton could meet the three-time Grand Slam champion if they both reach the quarterfinal of the grass-court Major. Before starting his campaign for Wimbledon, Shelton lost two back-to-back matches on grass, losing to Arthur Rinderknech and Learner Tien in the opening rounds of the Queen’s Club Championships and the Mallorca Open, respectively.

He kick-started his campaign on grass at the Stuttgart Open where the eventual runner-up Alexander Zverev knocked him out in the semifinals. Shelton has reached just one final this year- at the BMW Open, which he lost to Zverev.

Hijikata, on the other hand, produced his best in the Majors when he played in the fourth round of the 2023 US Open. At Wimbledon, he has never reached the second round, and last year, Flavio Cobolli knocked him out in the first round. Hijikata is also playing doubles here with David Pel and the pair have secured a spot in the second round.

Also read: Novak Djokovic Points to ‘Fluffier’ Balls as the Key Reason Behind Slowness in Wimbledon Matches