Wimbledon Championships Controversy
In a dramatic turn of events at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships, tennis player Ben Shelton expressed his outrage following a controversial match suspension during his second-round encounter.
Match Overview
After breezing through the first round with a straight-sets victory against Alex Bolt, Shelton faced Australian Rinky Hijikata on No. 2 Court, where both players had to endure a lengthy wait before they could compete. Other matches on the same court included:
- Alex de Minaur‘s victory over Arthur Cazaux
- Luciano Darderi‘s quick win against Arthur Fery
- Defending women’s champion Barbora Krejcikova needing three sets to defeat Caroline Dolehide
Match Progression
Finally taking to the court, Shelton quickly aimed to capitalize on their opportunity amid looming darkness. He won the opening set decisively with a score of 6-2 and carried his momentum into the second set, overcoming a challenging game before securing it 7-5—leading the match 2-0 at this point.
Third Set Tensions
As Shelton and Hijikata began the third set, another match featuring Gael Monfils and Marton Fucsovics experienced a similar plight, being called off due to poor visibility just as they prepared for a fifth set. Despite the unsettling environment, Shelton was determined to prevent the match from being affected by the failing light. He broke Hijikata’s serve early in the third set to assert his dominance.
Match Suspension
However, as the match continued, concerns regarding the visibility started to rise. Players on court even approached the referee, Nacho Forcadell, requesting a suspension until the next day. Unfortunately for Shelton, play went on. He built a promising 5-3 lead and found himself with three match points, only for Hijikata to stage an unexpected comeback by winning five consecutive points to keep the match alive.
Frustration and Rescheduling
The tension peaked when the umpire made a shocking announcement, declaring a postponement until Friday, mere moments before Shelton could serve for the match.
Frustration was evident on Shelton’s face, as extending the match to the next day posed serious challenges for his preparation for the upcoming third round. The match is set to resume as the second fixture on Friday, following a clash between Naomi Osaka and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
