NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
Ben Shelton earned the match at the Wimbledon Championships on Thursday, but he had to wait until the next day to do so.
That’s because his second round against Rinky Hijikata was suspended due to darkness.
Shelton was a leader, 6-2, 7-5, 5-4, when the match was called, and he was clearly not happy-to-be suspended at. 21.29 local time, and both players had made arguments for suspending the game earlier in the match.
CLICK HERE for more sports cover at Foxnews.com
Ben Shelton celebrates victory over Rinky Hijikata on day five of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London Friday, July 4, 2025. (John Walton/Pa -Pictures via Getty Images)
Shelton approached the judge and had to be held back by another official to reassure him.
Well, Shelton and Hijikata returned to court early Friday morning to end the match – and it took a minute to do it as Shelton advanced to the third round.
“It was difficult. At that time we knew kind of that we were playing under relationships that were not ideal for tennis. For me it was like ‘what’s a game more at the time?’ Shelton said after the match.
Ben Shelton, Top, returns the ball to Rinky Hijikata from Australia during their second round of men’s singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London on Thursday, July 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Joanna Chan)
Top-ranked American tennis stars wobble at Wimbledon with defeat of early round
“I hadn’t been broken the whole match. I haven’t been broken since my first set in my first round and I felt sure to come out here with a service game to end it.”
Shelton said he was uncertain about his plans for the day, discussing whether to practice, considering that Friday was originally scheduled to be an extinguished day for the 10th ranked player in the world.
“It’s different. I warmed up for 30 minutes and then spent a minute on the field. Much more time was spent in preparation than the actual match,” he said.
Ben Shelton responds after winning a point against Rinky Hijikata on day four of the championships Wimbledon 2025 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. (GEOFF BURKE-FORIVED PICTURES)
Shelton faces Marton Focsovics from Hungary in the third round Saturday. His best finish in Wimbledon lasted for the fourth round last year – he made the semi -finals in both Australian and us open.
