2 days ago
Taylor Fritz frustrated as Wimbledon comeback is interrupted by curfew
American No. 1 Taylor Fritz was left saying, 'I couldn't do anything' after putting together a stirring comeback on No. 1 Court at Wimbledon on Monday night.
After two sets of his first-round match against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, Fritz had won more points and made fewer errors, but found himself down two sets to love after losing two tiebreaks to the Frenchman, who is one of the only players in the sport with a serve bigger than Fritz's.
Advertisement
But the American, who prides his competitiveness above his tennis skill, rode out the storm to win the next two sets, including a fourth-set tiebreak in which he rallied from a 5-1 deficit, two points from defeat. After doing so, he pumped his chest to his box, let out a cry of 'let's f—ing go' and sat down ready to ride the wave of momentum to the finish line … or so he thought.
After a protracted discussion with a tournament official, the match was suspended due to the Wimbledon curfew, which is at 11 p.m. local time, even though it was only 10:18 p.m. when play was stopped. 'Then don't ask me,' Fritz said as he sat down in his chair and packed up his rackets, before saying to his box that he 'couldn't do anything.'
The All England Club did not immediately respond to a request for comment on why the match was suspended 42 minutes before the curfew. Fritz and Mpetshi Perricard's four previous sets lasted 44 minutes, 48 minutes, 33 minutes and 45 minutes, and only one of those sets would have fit within the time remaining.
Moving forward, the suspension could have benefits and drawbacks for both players. Fritz had the momentum at the time of the interruption, so having it stalled will benefit Mpetshi Perricard. But the Frenchman is a master of indoor conditions, and the match had been played under the roof on No. 1 Court. When the players return tomorrow, it will be open in the heat of the day.
The curfew rule was introduced by Merton Council in 2009, when a roof was installed on Centre Court. It is designed to 'balance the consideration of local residents with the scale of an international tennis event that takes place in a residential area,' according to a previous statement from the All England Club. Unlike the other three Grand Slams, which run night sessions which can go into the early hours of the morning, Wimbledon stops play an hour before midnight without fail.
