Ben Shelton and tennis fans everywhere were understandably shocked and fuming when Wimbledon officials suspended play just as he was about to serve for the match during Thursday’s match against Rinky Hijikata.
The American was leading 5-4 in the third set when play was suspended due to bad lighting at 9:29 local time, sending him into a rage, which the ESPN broadcasters described as “understandable,” and he charged toward the chair ump.
Another official walked in front of him to try and calm him down, but Shelton continued to angrily react to a second official as he was putting his racquet in his bag and preparing to walk back to the locker room.
Before he walked off the court, Shelton received a loud ovation watching on No. 2 court.
Shelton will have to return on Friday to finish the match, taking away a chance for a full rest day for the 10th seed.
He had been leading after taking the first two sets, 6-2, 7-5.
Both Shelton and Hijikata made separate pleas to officials to suspend the match more than 30 minutes before play was actually stopped, the ESPN broadcast stated.
Broadcasters fumed, with analyst James Blake ripping the decision.
“A bad decision forced another bad decision,” he said. “They could’ve stopped at the end of the second set or at 4-2. Either one of those would have been a better decision.”
No. 2 court does not have a roof or artificial lights and in a statement to The Athletic, a spokesperson said that “due to poor light it was not possible to continue and not an option to move to another court.”
Shelton is looking for his first career Grand Slam win, one year after he made the fourth round at Wimbledon.