Ben Shelton, a two-time Grand Slam semi-finalist, showcased his prowess by defeating Australian Rinky Hijikata with a commanding scoreline of 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 in a suspended second-round Wimbledon match on Friday night (AEST). The encounter, which had been put on hold due to darkness at 5-4 in the third set, saw Shelton finish the match in a mere minute after play resumed, notably serving three aces among four total points.
The 10th-seeded Shelton expressed his surprise at the unusual circumstances of the brief continuation, stating, “Very different playing over two days and coming out for whatever that was — 55 seconds? — today.” He had anticipated warming up further before resuming, indicating that he might need to hit some practice courts afterwards.
The match took a surreal turn as Shelton prepared to serve for the match on Thursday evening but was halted when he had the advantage. After returning to the court roughly 16 hours later, he quickly fired off three aces, including an impressive serve clocking 226 km/h. Explaining his nerves when serving for the match, he remarked, “To hit three aces and take the pressure off of myself, I couldn’t have been happier.”
Shelton previously reached the semi-finals in the 2023 US Open and the Australian Open earlier this year, underlining his talent amongst the top players. He now looks ahead to a third-round clash with Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics, ranked 105th, aiming to progress past this round for a second consecutive year at Wimbledon.
Despite the match’s abrupt ending, Shelton thanked the crowd, apologising for the lack of tennis on display. Earlier in the match, he had faced tense moments as he held three match points while leading 5-3, only for Hijikata, ranked 87th, to reclaim momentum briefly by winning five consecutive points.
Ultimately, Shelton demonstrated resilience and skill, not facing any break points during the match and acknowledging it as a “clean match.” As he gears up for his next contest, the excitement for his potential progression at the All England Club remains palpable among fans.