Ben Shelton was keen to have his second-round match suspended after taking a two-set lead over Rinky Hijikata. The No. 10 seed closed out the second set 7-5, then marched straight to the umpire’s chair to ask when play was usually halted for darkness. Commentators speculated whether the American was concerned about how slippery the grass could become on Court 2. And supervisor Ali Nili took to the court as Shelton continued to ask questions about when they could call it a night.
They continued playing and Shelton immediately went a break up. He blew three match points on Hijikata’s serve and was about to serve it out himself at 5-4 when the umpire finally announced play was suspended. It was exactly what Shelton feared would happen, Nili rushed over to step in when the American tried to complain again.
Australian world No. 87 Hijikata swiftly left the court for a comfort break after going two sets down, while Shelton approached chair umpire Nacho Forcadell and started quizzing him about stopping play.
“If there’s no chance of finishing the third set, it’s slick in the back there. If there’s no chance of finishing the third set without it being too slippery? Yesterday it was 9.15pm, huh? So we have 35 minutes?” he asked, referring to previous outdoor matches that had been halted for darkness.
Commentator Ryan Harrison said: “Shelton is just having a quick conversation with the chair about the decision to start the set. He’s saying he would prefer to not be midway through the third set and then come back. He would rather delay it. Hijikata, he wants a break given the level that Shelton is playing, so Hijikata very intelligently is taking a bathroom break, burn off a bit more clock, seems pretty strategic.”
Shelton waited for his opponent to return and went over to speak with his box while fans on Court 2 chanted ‘one more set’. The 10th seed didn’t want them to get their wish, however.
He returned to his bench and continued to ask the umpire what the protocol was for suspending matches, before turning to Nili, who came to the court to speak to Shelton.
“When they called the matches at 9.15 yesterday was that because it was too dark or too slick? Like was that a hard stop?” he asked again. “So it was because of light, and this court has the least light?”
Shelton eventually conceded and returned to the baseline to resume the match as Hijikata came back from his bathroom break. For all of his concerns, the American immediately broke to start the third set.
But Hijikata also didn’t seem keen to play. At the first changeover he asked Forcadell about the slippery conditions on court, and the umpire came down to feel the grass, but they continued playing. While trailing 1-3, the Aussie told the umpire: “No mate, you’re not the one out there running and moving.”
Shelton slipped in the next game as he chased down a dropshot while holding two break point opportunities. Hijikata served himself out of trouble and for involved when the crowd broke out into chants of ‘Aussie Aussie Aussie! Oi oi oi!’ But he still kept asking how long it would be until play was suspended.
The fans were having none of it, breaking out into a Mexican Wave as Shelton prepared to serve, while Forcadell tried to calm them down.
Shelton blew three match points on Hijikata’s serve at 5-3 in the third set and was ready to serve it out instead. But the umpire suddenly announced play was suspended, finally giving into the players at the worst possible time, and Shelton understandably wasn’t happy.
He stormed up to the umpire as the supervisor returned to the court and tried to stop Shelton. The crowd started booing and Hijikata swiftly packed his stuff and left the court as the 10th seed continued speaking with the officials. Shelton will have to return on Friday to try and serve for a spot in round three. With his big serve, he could well get it done in a couple of minutes.
“He fought off those triple match points and he won five points in a row, and he lives to fight another day. How much into that other day remains to be seen,” Harrison said of Hijikata.
“But you can understand Shelton’s frustration, he asked for play to be suspended, they said push on, we’ll see much we can get out of it. But he’s getting the crowd support as he’s walking off.”
On Thursday night, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina’s match against Botic van de Zandschulp was suspended at 9.15pm – after they had given Davidovich Fokina the chance to serve it out. When he got broken for 5-5, it was halted and resumed on Thursday.
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