Wimbledon players forced off court as Alexander Zverev match suspended | Tennis | Sport
Alexander Zverev and Jiri Lehecka must return on Tuesday to complete their Wimbledon fourth-round clash. Zverev leads 6-4, 7-5, 3-3 and has one foot in the quarter-finals, where Taylor Fritz awaits.
Zverev and Lehecka were in a race against time to get their match completed on Monday night as they entered the court at 8.40pm. There is a strict 11pm curfew at the All England Club, imposed on them by Merton Council.
Wimbledon were forced to agree to the curfew as part of the planning conditions for their Centre Court roof, which has been operational since 2009. It means players must stop as soon as the clock strikes 11.
Zverev and Lehecka spent 42 minutes battling during the first set and 54 minutes in the second. Lehecka then took a lengthy toilet break and the third set got underway at 10.32pm. However, the match supervisor called things off at 10.56pm, midway through the set.
It means they will return on Centre Court on Tuesday but it is unclear what slot they will be given.
A statement from Wimbledon in 2018 read: “The 11pm curfew is a Planning Condition applied to balance the consideration of the local residents with the scale of an international tennis event that takes place in a residential area.
“The challenge of transport connectivity and getting visitors home safely is also a key consideration.”
Coco Gauff almost fell foul of the curfew rule during her clash with Belinda Bencic on Sunday night. The American was taken the distance and wrapped up a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win at 10.58pm. She then pointed at her wrist in celebration to acknowledge her race against the clock.
“I was looking at the clock the last service game,” she said. “I was like, ‘I got to hit some big serves and some big shots.’ And honestly, that match point, I was going for a serve and volley because I was like, ‘I need to end the point.’
“That was probably the most dramatic finish. I’ve never had to race against time. Playing tennis we’re used to not having a clock. But honestly, today I felt the pressure. … Glad I didn’t choose basketball.”
