BBC commentators shocked as Wimbledon pull British player off court
Arthur Fery will have to finish his second-round clash with Luciano Darderi on Thursday after Wimbledon chiefs made the 'surprising' decision to suspend Wednesday's match. British star Fery was trailing 4-6, 3-6 when the match supervisor walked onto the court.
Darderi, 23, had just won the second set but the players were told that they'd be unable to start the third due to bad light. Fery and his Italian opponent will now reconvene on Thursday afternoon, with the Brit needing to mount a huge fightback to reach Friday's third round.
BBC commentators Matt Chilton and Dom Inglot were both shocked at how early Wimbledon's officials made the decision. Play was halted at 8:45pm yet matches have been played until roughly 9:15pm on previous nights.
"There is a collective groan around the ground now," Chilton said. "That is a little surprising that at quarter to nine, play is suspended."
British former player Inglot added: "Well I am shocked. If I was Darderi, I would be carrying on as long as I possibly could. He is playing some unbelievable tennis right now. You never know, he could come back tomorrow and not be feeling it like he is right now.
Chilton followed up by saying: "They have been going on till much later than this. However, the decision has been made and these two will return to this court tomorrow."
Inglot also bemoaned: "The fans will definitely be disappointed because that was a real treat. Great level of tennis from both players, it's a shame it had to end so soon."
Fery, who's ranked 481st in the world, beat No.20 seed Alexei Popyrin in the first round on Monday, having never won a tour-level match prior to this year's Wimbledon. "It's going to help my ranking, for sure," Fery beamed post-match.
"It's obviously a big tournament, more points than if I was playing a challenger. At the end of the day it's just a tennis match. Just got to treat it like that.
"It's not more special, more important than the match you play at Nottingham. Just got to stay on the right line and keep moving forwards."
Who'll win the men's singles at Wimbledon? Give us your prediction in the comments section.
Meanwhile on Court One on Wednesday, the roof had to be closed so that the USA's Taylor Fritz could continue facing Gabriel Diallo of Canada. They were given time for a four-minute warm-up before play resumed, with Fritz having just won a third-set tiebreak to take control of the match.
Fritz's first-round match on Monday was paused after four sets 40 minutes before the curfew time, with the circumstances of the decision leaving the American puzzled. Although Fritz came back to win the fifth set against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard on Tuesday, he was bemused as to why the match supervisor had asked him for his opinion on the decision.
"He just wanted me to agree with him [about stopping for the night]," Fritz explained. "I said, 'I don't know why you keep asking me because I want to play. Stop asking me because you already said we're not playing'.
"I think it would have been easy for me to get frustrated about not being able to play last night. To be honest, I felt confident going into the fifth set whether it was last night or today."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
North Wales Chronicle
5 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Jack Draper knocked out of Wimbledon by inspired former finalist Marin Cilic
The Croatian lost to Roger Federer in the 2017 showpiece, three years after winning his only grand slam title at the US Open, but at 36 his best days appeared to be very much behind him. Cilic rolled back the years with a sublime performance, hitting 53 winners in a 6-4 6-3 1-6 6-4 victory, but this will be a bitter pill for Draper, who has elevated himself into the world's top four but is still yet to go beyond the second round at his home grand slam. British fans could have been forgiven for thinking Cilic had retired, with the Croatian back at the All England Club for the first time in four years. A knee problem that required two operations and kept him out for the better part of two years might have been the end but Cilic was determined to come back. His ability on grass has never been in doubt – although unexpectedly this was his first victory over a top-five player on the surface – with the former world number three twice winning the title at Queen's Club as well as his run to the Wimbledon final. He returned to the top 100, meanwhile, by winning the second-tier Challenger event in Nottingham last month. Upset alert 🚨 Croatia's Marin Cilic stuns Jack Draper 6-4, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 to knock the No.4 seed out of The Championships 2025 😮#Wimbledon — Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 3, 2025 From the start of this contest, which strangely was not scheduled for Centre Court, Cilic showed he has not lost the metronomic quality of his flat, deep ground strokes. Draper's weapons have been the talk of tennis this year but here he found himself on the back foot and scrambling several feet behind the baseline to try to find any semblance of control. Cilic was returning Draper's serves back to his feet and seizing any chance he had to drill the ball into the corners. Draper might have thought he had dodged a bullet when he recovered from 0-40 in the eighth game, letting out a loud shout of 'Come on', but Cilic played an incredible returning game two games later, ending it with a clean return winner on his first set point. A chance to get a break of serve at the start of the second and halt his opponent's momentum came and went, and Draper was in deep trouble when he dropped serve again, with Cilic winning five games in a row. Having been dumped out of the French Open in the fourth round by an inspired Alexander Bublik last month, Draper must have been having deja vu as Cilic continued to play at a level miles above his ranking of 83. If there was a criticism of the British number one it was that he had been a little too safe with his ground strokes, and going into the third set he suddenly decided to go for broke. It worked. Leading 2-1, Draper drew gasps from the crowd with a ferociously struck forehand and moved to 0-40. Cilic saved the first two break points but on the third, after his ball-bouncing habit had finally earned him a time violation, he was unable to cope with a Draper backhand drilled down the line. It was the breakthrough the 23-year-old desperately needed, and it was swiftly followed by a second break to give Draper and the crowd some much-needed hope. He won three successive five-set matches at the Australian Open in January but had never come back to two sets down to triumph and, the longer the fourth set went on, the more Cilic looked the likely winner. A mishit Draper forehand gave Cilic two break points in the eighth game but the home hope clung on, a forehand from the Croatian on the second peeping over the net tape but falling back on his side. Draper was in trouble again two games later, though, and this time a netted forehand gave Cilic match point, which the Croatian took.
The National
11 minutes ago
- The National
Andy Robertson in heartbreaking tribute to Diogo Jota
The 28-year-old passed away after the incident in Spain. Jota's brother Andre also sadly passed away following the road traffic accident. A Liverpool statement on Thursday confirmed: "Liverpool Football Club are devastated by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota. "The club have been informed the 28-year-old has passed away following a road traffic accident in Spain along with his brother, Andre. "Liverpool FC will be making no further comment at this time and request the privacy of Diogo and Andre's family, friends, teammates and club staff is respected as they try to come to terms with an unimaginable loss. "We will continue to provide them with our full support." Liverpool team-mate Robertson has since paid tribute on social media as he recalled happy memories with the Portugal internationalist he affectionately referred to as "Diogo MacJota". Read more: Robertson's emotional message, posted on his personal Instagram, read: "The ones I'm thinking about most right now are the family. Their loss is too much to bear. I'm so sorry that they have lost two such precious souls – Diogo and Andre. "For the team and the Club, we'll try to cope with this together… however long that takes. "For me, I want to talk about my mate. My buddy. The bloke I loved and will miss like crazy. "I could talk about him as a player for hours, but none of that feels like it matters right now. "It's the man. The person. He was such a good guy. The best. So genuine. Just normal and real. "Full of love for the people he cared about. Full of fun. "He was the most British foreign player I've ever met. We used to joke he was really Irish… I'd try to claim him as Scottish, obviously. I even called him Diogo MacJota. "We'd watch the darts together, enjoy the horse racing. Going to Cheltenham this season was a highlight - one of the best we last time I saw him was the happiest day of his life – his wedding day. I want to remember his never-ceasing smile from that magical day. How much he was bursting with love for his wife and family. "I can't believe we're saying goodbye. It's too soon, and it hurts so much. "But thank you for being in my life, mate – and for making it better. "Love you, Diogo.❤️"
Scottish Sun
11 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Jack Draper OUT of Wimbledon as No4 seed is stunned by veteran former finalist Marin Cilic, 36, in shock early exit
Draper failed in attempt to pull off career-first achievement and follow in Andy Murray's footsteps JACK LOSES Jack Draper OUT of Wimbledon as No4 seed is stunned by veteran former finalist Marin Cilic, 36, in shock early exit WHAT an anti-climax this is for Jack Draper and the rest of the British sporting summer. The homegrown hope came here as the fourth seed, having had the season of his life, but he has disappeared from view after just seven sets of tennis. Advertisement 6 Jack Draper suffered a shock defeat to Marin Cilic Credit: PA Marin Cilic, at 36, turned back the years and outsmarted and out-aced Draper in a ruthless, clean-hitting display on No1 Court. All the hope and expectations that Draper might mount a serious title challenge – perhaps even become the third British male champion in more than 100 years – were unravelled by the Croatian veteran. Cilic fired down 16 aces in a 6-4 6-3 1-6 6-4 victory on day four of the Championships. For the second year running, Draper was undone in the second round in disappointing, deflating fashion. Advertisement READ MORE ON WIMBLEDON HEALTH WORRY Wimbledon ball kid removed from court as umpire is forced to ask for help It happened 12 months ago to compatriot Cameron Norrie. But this was different because of the significant improvements made in his game and his lofty status in the draw. You might look at the score and think that Draper simply buckled under the pressure of being the home favourite. Maybe that is the case and only he can say for sure but in truth, Cilic played exceptionally well, even if he did deliver six double faults across the four sets. Advertisement What Draper failed to do was move his opponent around the court and test out his battle-weary body. There was little variation and 2017 runner-up Cilic, who has had knee surgery, should have been manoeuvred more around the grass – instead, it was all too easy for the former US Open champion to dominate. It was all too flat as well from the Sutton man. There was little emotion, no screaming, no roaring – he needed to produce something that would get the crowd up on their feet and energised. Advertisement When Cilic went two sets ahead, it was a worrying time for Draper supporters as the 23-year-old had never before come back to win from such a deficit. His cause was helped by winning set four in 31 minutes as youth prevailed over experience and he suddenly found his range. Cilic is a very difficult person to watch as a neutral because he bounces the ball about 12-16 times before serving. The 6ft 6in giant received a time violation in game four of the third set – this earned a huge cheer from the fans – and it clearly put him off his stride as he was broken by Draper at a key juncture. Advertisement Yet even though Draper's level improved and he thrillingly saved two break points in game eight of set four, any prospect of a momentum shift was soon halted. Cilic – who turned pro in 2005 when Draper was THREE years old – was relaxed and calm as he decisively broke his opponent's serve. Draper's frustration boiled over when he argued with the umpire over a Hawk-Eye call but in this era of no line judges, he cannot challenge the decision. The baffling decision by tournament Jamie Baker to schedule this on No1 Court rather than Centre Court proved the wrong one. Advertisement It is fair to assume loads of debenture ticket holders would have rather watched this than Jannik Sinner demolish Aleksandar Vukic. It means it will be another year before Draper is exposed again to the premier grass court in the world. Only twice out of seven matches has he competed on Centre Court and there were plenty of compelling reasons why he deserved to be there this evening. As Draper packed up his bags and left the arena, Cilic celebrated one of his best wins in years - even if his kids did not seem all that bothered by the result. Advertisement They continued to focus on their colouring books as Daddy, back after missing the last three editions in SW19, moved into the third round of Wimbledon for the ninth time and secured a date with Spaniard Jaume Munar on Saturday. 6 Cilic took control with his reliable big serving Credit: Getty 6 The Croatian reached the final in 2017 Credit: Alamy 6 Draper upped his level to sweep through the third set Credit: Getty Advertisement 6 Draper cut a dejected figure at the changeovers Credit: AP
