Wimbledon is now underway, but organisers will not be happy to hear that the Grand Slam has already been criticised after just one day of action.
Day one involved plenty of surprises, with two-time finalist Ons Jabeur withdrawing from Wimbledon after retiring during her opening match.
ATP star Stefanos Tsitsipas withdrew from Wimbledon in the same manner, but arguably most of the drama was saved for the clash between Taylor Fritz and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
With the scores level at 6-7(6-8), 6-7(8-10), 6-4, 7-6(8-6), the Wimbledon curfew meant the match needed to be suspended.
Set at 11pm local time, the curfew aims to prevent play at the London tournament continuing late into the night, a rule Fritz took exception to on court.
Wimbledon already criticised for ‘ridiculous’ decision on day one
But many tennis fans were left furious after the clash was suspended, with one writing on X: “Ridiculous decision tbh.”
A second commented: “Terrible decision. I understand Perricard didn’t want to continue. Fritz did. Perricard should’ve forfeited.”
A third fan concurred: “Brutal. Let em play. 5th could go 6-0 in 30 minutes, who knows. 100% wrong decision.”
Another tennis fan said: “Unbelievable. Fritzy was not happy nor should he be,” with another agreeing: “This is a joke! How do u pause this match?”
Journalist Jon Wertheim meanwhile shared his blunt verdict, commenting: “One imagines this conversation at ESPN…
‘This is great theater. An American ranked No.5! This French kid serving 153 mph! Five sets! Late afternoon ET. Leading in to SportsCenter!’
‘Um, boss, it’s suspended.’
‘Why? Rain?’
‘No, there’s a roof and lights. But there’s a village curfew.’
‘Now?’
‘No, in, like, 45 minutes.’
‘Remind me: how much are we paying for these rights?’
Reacting to Wertheim, one tennis fan commented: “HBO Max wouldn’t put up with this nonsense. They know how to properly broadcast a major tennis tournament.”
What is the Wimbledon curfew that suspended Taylor Fritz’s first round match?
Much of the fan anger arrived due to there being 40 minutes of action left to play, along with the fact that Fritz wanted to continue playing against Perricard.
The American made the comment on social media: “They would’ve let us play if my opponent agreed to, I said I wanted to he didn’t.”
Such frustrations were understandable, with the fifth seed having taken the last two sets against the Frenchman on Court 1.
But perhaps above all else, fans were left devastated due to the match having just reached a hugely exciting climax.
Fritz and Perricard had played out a thrilling battle before the match was suspended, with the fans having been treated to a very high-quality and entertaining tie.
First round matches rarely get any better, and so it seems that Wimbledon could have dealt with the scenario in a more appropriate manner.
But tournament organisers were simply following procedure, with the 11pm curfew brought into the Grand Slam in 2009.
Home favourite Andy Murray and his fellow legend Novak Djokovic have both been impacted by the rule over the years, which is designed to prevent any negative impact on local residents.
But those taking on Fritz versus Perricard at the venue echoed frustrations from fans watching on TV by booing upon hearing the decision, with Monday’s match now set to finish on Tuesday.
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