When you have had to wait a whole night to finish your match, what is another 70 seconds between friends? Three aces and an unreturnable kick serve did the job for Ben Shelton as he sealed his place in the third round here with a 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 win over Rinky Hijikata, the smile on his face a far cry from the understandable frustration the previous evening.
The match had been suspended at 9.29pm on Thursday, with Shelton due to serve for victory. The players had been in discussion with the umpire, Nacho Forcadell, earlier in the set to see if the match could be suspended because the court was becoming slippery, but the pair played on until the announcement was made at 5-4, prompting jeers from the crowd.
