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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Wimbledon 2025: Ben Shelton finishes off Rinky Hijikata in 1 minute after match was suspended due to darkness
Ben Shelton argues with officials after play was suspended, with Shelton one game from potentially beating Australian Rinky Hijikata in straight sets. (Photo by) After a well-fought two sets against Australian Rinky Hijikata, Ben Shelton was one game away from advancing to the third round of Wimbledon. But he needed to wait until Friday to finish the job. Shelton and Hijikata's second round match was suspended at 9:29 p.m. local time in London due to darkness, as the sun had set about 10 minutes earlier. At the time that officials called the match, Shelton was leading Hijikata 6-2, 7-5, 5-4 — and on serve while one game from a straight set victory. Advertisement He finished off that victory Friday, winning the game and taking the third set 6-4 to win the match. It took Shelton one minute to close out the match Friday. Shelton was understandably unhappy after the call, speaking heatedly with the officials as Hijikata exited the court. The crowd had a strong reaction as well, booing the ruling and seeming to chant "one more game." Part of Shelton's frustration was that, as the sun went down, both players had broached the idea of suspending the match earlier, but the officials had told them to play on. The match took place at No. 2 Court, which has no roof or stadium lighting. Due to scheduling, Shelton and Hijikata did not start playing until after 7 p.m. local time. The court had four other matches take place prior to theirs, with one of the men's matches taking nearly three hours and the second lasting two and a half. Advertisement Shelton did have the chance to lock up victory prior to the officials' call: The 22-year-old American went up 40-0 in what could have been the match-winning game, before dropping five straight points to Hijikata. As a result, Hijikata won the game to bring the set to 5-4 — and force it into a second day. Shelton, ranked No. 10, is one of the top two American men remaining in the tournament. The win pushes Shelton into the fourth round for the second straight year.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Wimbledon 2025: Ben Shelton finishes off Rinky Hijikata after match was suspended due to darkness
Ben Shelton argues with officials after play was suspended, with Shelton one game from potentially beating Australian Rinky Hijikata in straight sets. (Photo by) After a well-fought two sets against Australian Rinky Hijikata, Ben Shelton was one game away from advancing to the third round of Wimbledon. But he needed to wait until Friday to finish the job. Shelton and Hijikata's second round match was suspended at 9:29 p.m. local time in London due to darkness, as the sun had set about 10 minutes earlier. At the time that officials called the match, Shelton was leading Hijikata 6-2, 7-5, 5-4 — and on serve while one game from a straight set victory. Advertisement He finished off that victory Friday, winning the game and taking the third set 6-4 to win the match. Shelton was understandably unhappy after the call, speaking heatedly with the officials as Hijikata exited the court. The crowd had a strong reaction as well, booing the ruling and seeming to chant "one more game." Part of Shelton's frustration was that, as the sun went down, both players had broached the idea of suspending the match earlier, but the officials had told them to play on. The match took place at No. 2 Court, which has no roof or stadium lighting. Due to scheduling, Shelton and Hijikata did not start playing until after 7 p.m. local time. The court had four other matches take place prior to theirs, with one of the men's matches taking nearly three hours and the second lasting two and a half. Advertisement Shelton did have the chance to lock up victory prior to the officials' call: The 22-year-old American went up 40-0 in what could have been the match-winning game, before dropping five straight points to Hijikata. As a result, Hijikata won the game to bring the set to 5-4 — and force it into a second day. Shelton, ranked No. 10, is one of the top two American men remaining in the tournament. The win pushes Shelton into the fourth round for the second straight year.
Independent Singapore
2 days ago
- Sport
- Independent Singapore
Wimbledon: Ben Shelton's match suspended with one game away from reaching the third round
Photo: Instagram/benshelton WIMBLEDON, LONDON: Ben Shelton was only one game away from moving forward to the third round of this year's Wimbledon tournament. However, after a thrilling two-set match against Rinky Hijikata from Australia, the game was suspended due to darkness. During the day of the match, the sun had set 10 minutes earlier, and Shelton was leading with a scoreline of 6-2, 7-5, 5-4 when the game was halted. Evidently, Shelton was upset when this happened, and the athlete was seen discussing with the officials while his opponent left the court. Furthermore, the crowd also expressed their disappointment by chanting boos and the line 'one more game.' Wimbledon lacks appropriate lighting for games Part of Shelton's frustration was the fact that they had suggested ending the match earlier as it got darker since the game was held on No. 2 Court, which does not have a roof and the appropriate stadium lights. However, the officials insisted that the match continue. With four other matches played on the same court that same day–one lasted nearly three hours, and another lasted two and a half–Shelton and Hijikata's match started after 7 p.m. Unfortunately, Shelton's said goodbye to the opportunity to secure the win. A post shared by Sports Center shows the moment when the officials suspended the match. The post caption says: 'Ben Shelton reacts to his match against Rinky Hijikata being suspended at 9:29 p.m. local time… The match will be resumed tomorrow after play is suspended due to darkness.' Netizens commented on the post and said: 'This is ridiculous, why don't they add lights to Wimbledon courts?', 'Inexcusable decision. Should've played one final game. Tomorrow is supposed to be a rest day for Shelton and now he has to come out and go through his whole routine — all likely unnecessary,' 'Wouldn't the match have been finished in another minute? That's crazy,' and 'Shelton handled the suspension with composure, understanding that safety and fair play come first. Sometimes, the game pauses—but focus and momentum must carry into tomorrow.' On his social media, Shelton expressed: 'They ain't wanna see anything else from me tonight, but I'll see yall tomorrow 🌘' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ben Shelton (@benshelton) Even though the athlete addressed the incident in a light-hearted way, many netizens expressed frustration in the comments. One wrote, 'So ridiculous how they didn't let you finish lmao,' while another called it 'one of the worst suspensions in the history of professional tennis.' Others said the decision was a 'complete joke' and argued he should have been allowed to finish the match.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Aussie Rinky Hijikata's dramatic Wimbledon escape against big-serving US star Ben Shelton
Aussie Rinky Hijikata has lived to fight another day at Wimbledon after saving three match points and then being reprieved by a controversial suspension of play amid farcical scenes as darkness descended. As his second round match with 10th seed Ben Shelton approached its finish on No.2 Court with the American in total control late on Thursday evening, Hijikata was on the brink of defeat at 2-6 5-7 3-5 and 0-40 down. Yet Australia's world No.87 then fought tigerishly to win the next five points and stay in the hunt, by which time it was almost 9.30pm. Conditions had become so dark on court without floodlighting that Spanish chair umpire Nacho Forcadell insisted he had to call a suspension. Shelton was furious, being told he would not be given one last chance to serve out for the match. The left-hander had previously not dropped his serve all match. While he complained, and the courtside supervisor stepped in quickly, Hijikata had already swiftly sped away to complete his great escape, knowing he can return on Friday to try and rescue what looks to be a lost cause. The most ridiculous aspect of the affair was that after he had taken his two-set lead at 8.40pm, the dominant Shelton had already queried with Forcadell whether there was enough time to complete the match. The 22-year-old American also pointed out it was beginning to be slippery at the back of the court and seemed as if he would have been happy for the match to be postponed at that point. Hijikata, perhaps playing for time, had meanwhile disappeared for a strategic comfort break. When the 24-year-old returned, he didn't seem overly enthused about playing on. Indeed, after slipping on the grass at 1-3 down, he pointedly told Forcadell: 'No mate, you're not the one out there running and moving.' Elsewhere, fellow Aussie Alex de Minaur ousted Frenchman Arthur Cazaux and top seed Jannik Sinner outclassed Sydney raised Aleksandar Vukic in straight sets. In the women's section, Australia's 16th seed Daria Kasatkina progressed to the third round after beating Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu 6-2, 4-6, 6-1. Kasatkina will next face 19th seed Liudmila Samsonova.
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- Washington Post
Wimbledon: Ben Shelton is 1 game away from winning when his match is suspended because of darkness
LONDON — Two-time Grand Slam semifinalist Ben Shelton's second-round match at Wimbledon was suspended because of fading light with him a game away from beating Rinky Hijikata on Thursday night. The 10th-seeded Shelton was about to serve for the match while leading 6-2, 7-5, 5-4 when action was halted at No. 2 Court, which does not have a roof or artificial lights.
