Alexander Zverev and Jiri Lehecka will have to return on Tuesday to finish their Wimbledon fourth-round encounter after their match was halted by the All England Club's strict 11pm curfew. Zverev holds a commanding 6-4, 7-5, 3-3 advantage and is edging closer to a quarter-final berth, where American Taylor Fritz lies in wait.
Race Against the Clock
Zverev and Lehecka were battling against the clock to finish their match on Monday evening after taking to the court at 8.40pm. The All England Club operates under a stringent 11pm curfew, mandated by Merton Council. Wimbledon was compelled to accept the curfew as part of the planning requirements for their Centre Court roof, which has been in operation since 2009. This means that no more action can take place once the clock strikes 11.
Zverev and Lehecka spent 42 minutes contesting the opening set and 54 minutes in the second, with Zverev taking both. Lehecka then took an extended toilet break before the third set commenced at 10.32pm. However, the match supervisor halted proceedings at 10.56pm, partway through the third set.
Resumption and Previous Curfew Incidents
They will resume on Centre Court on Tuesday, though the scheduled time slot remains uncertain. A statement from Wimbledon in 2018 explained the curfew: 'The 11pm curfew is a Planning Condition applied to balance the consideration of the local residents with the scale of an international tennis event that takes place in a residential area. The challenge of transport connectivity and getting visitors home safely is also a key consideration.'
Zverev and Lehecka were forced to wait for their contest after British player Arthur Fery produced a remarkable five-set victory to defeat Grigor Dimitrov and book his place in the quarter-finals. Earlier in the day, Jasmine Paolini required all three sets to overcome Alexandra Eala.
Gauff's Close Call
Coco Gauff came perilously close to falling foul of the curfew rule during her encounter with Belinda Bencic on Sunday evening. The American was pushed all the way before securing a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory at 10.58pm, pointing at her wrist afterwards in a nod to her nail-biting race against time.
'I was looking at the clock the last service game,' she said. 'I was like, "I got to hit some big serves and some big shots." And honestly, that match point, I was going for a serve and volley because I was like, "I need to end the point." That was probably the most dramatic finish. I've never had to race against time. Playing tennis we're used to not having a clock. But honestly, today I felt the pressure. ... Glad I didn't choose basketball.'
However, Gauff was unaware that there's an exception to the rule. A final game can be completed regardless of how long it takes, meaning she wouldn't have been forced off.
