Ben Shelton made waves when he reached the third round of Wimbledon. He defeated 2023 U.S. Open doubles champ Rinky Hijikata, 6-2, 7-5, 6-4. That matchup ignited a firestorm when it was abruptly suspended late Thursday night, citing concern over a slippery court.
The match faced suspension at 9:29 PM, just as Shelton prepared to serve for victory while leading 5-4 in the third set. Long before the end of the match, Shelton had been arguing with the umpire, Nacho Forcadell, about the court conditions. Even after this dangerous, slippery condition was created, Shelton played on until the removal from play was called.
Fans flocked to their feet with boos as the scene ended with an unanticipated stop. Shelton hinted that he was willing to keep playing too, saying that he was ready for a fifth-longer match if it came to that.
“I only need 60 seconds,” – Ben Shelton
Shelton made sure to stress that he was not trying to make a statement by closing out the match in a hurry. He confirmed after that his mentality going into the match had been all about holding serve and just taking care of business against Hijikata.
“The only thing I was thinking about today was holding serve,” – Ben Shelton
That match was eventually moved to Friday, giving both players a chance to reset. Shelton’s latest challenge will be against Marton Fucsovics, who overcame Gaël Monfils in a marathon five-set showdown.
In his match up against Hijikata, Shelton looked lights out. Besides his three aces, it was this third unreturnable kick serve mentioned above that produced his championship-clinching point of victory. The extraordinary context in which the match was created has attracted immense scrutiny.
Looking back on the trade with the home plate arbiter, Shelton admitted that his attitude could have been perceived as hostile. He was very clear that being rude and combative was never his goal.
“I don’t think that I ever get disrespectful on the court,” – Ben Shelton
He added humorously about his interaction with Forcadell, stating, “I guess maybe I should apologise to Nacho if he felt scared up in the chair.”
Shelton recognized that the situation was complicated and said he understood the need to suspend play temporarily. He noted the changeover was involved in the timing, with that fact leading to the umpire’s eventual call on the matter.
“At that point I’m not as upset about that decision. It was a difficult decision that was forced because of what they did earlier,” – Ben Shelton
Shelton gets ready for his second-round match against Marton Fucsovics. He focuses on his game and tries to play his way through the tournament. So, the anticipation builds having him back, and everyone looks forward to seeing what his next steps are at Wimbledon.