American tennis player Ben Shelton had to be physically restrained after confronting the umpire when his Wimbledon second-round match was suspended due to bad light at 9:29pm on Thursday evening.
The 22-year-old was preparing to serve for victory against Australia's Rinky Hijikata when play was halted, sparking a furious reaction from the 10th seed.
Shelton immediately protested the decision, wagging and pointing an angry finger at the umpire whilst pleading for the match to continue for just one more game.
His heated confrontation required intervention from a Wimbledon official who had to restrain the American as darkness descended on Court Two.
American tennis player Ben Shelton had to be physically restrained after confronting the umpire when his Wimbledon second-round match was suspended due to bad light at 9:29pm on Thursday evening
BBC
The match had been progressing smoothly for Shelton, who held a commanding two-set lead at 6-2, 7-5 and had secured an early break in the third set.
The American, watched by his footballer girlfriend Trinity Rodman, had created three match points at 5-3 on Hijikata's serve but failed to convert any of them.
After the change of ends, Shelton stood ready to serve for a straight-sets victory at 5-4, having not dropped his serve throughout the entire match.
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Ben Shelton reacts to his match against Rinky Hijikata being suspended at 9:29 PM local time.
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The match will be resumed tomorrow after play is suspended due to darkness. pic.twitter.com/6X3mFleai0
It was at this crucial moment, with potentially just four points remaining, that the umpire called off play in conditions described as reminiscent of Rafael Nadal's 2008 final victory.
Whilst Hijikata quickly gathered his belongings and left the court, Shelton's protests continued as he argued his case to complete the match.
The courtside microphones failed to capture his exact words, but it was evident he was desperately trying to convince officials to allow one more game.
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The suspension prompted groans and scattered boos from spectators on Court Two, who had witnessed the dramatic scenes unfold in near darkness.
Despite Shelton's vehement objections and visible frustration, his appeals were unsuccessful, leaving him to return on Friday for what could potentially be just four more points to secure victory.
The controversial decision sparked immediate backlash on social media from tennis fans who criticised the timing of the suspension.
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One fan wrote: "Unbelievable. Maybe 2 minutes later, it was finished A true joke."
Another commented: "Wimbledon should be ashamed."
A third supporter added: "This tournament has become the worst major in all of professional sports. Embarrassing."
Ben Shelton needs to win just four points in order to progress at Wimbledon
PA
Others questioned why officials hadn't suspended play earlier, with one noting: "The warm up will take longer than what's left of match to complete, only positive bit is that it's a quick practice for Shelton but otherwise it's a shocker."
Wimbledon confirmed the match would resume at 12:30pm on Friday on Court Two, with Shelton leading 6-2, 7-5, 5-4.
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