“Rain on the green grass, rain on the tree!” This nursery rhyme has become the theme song at Wimbledon, turning dreams of glory into soggy realities. Imagine practicing tirelessly, preparing for one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world, only to have your matches washed away. For tennis stars like Ben Shelton, Tommy Paul, and Madison Keys, the relentless rain has been more than a mere inconvenience; it’s been a full-blown disruptor.
The prestigious grass-court grand slam has advanced to the third round with players eyeing to baffle their opponents to advance further. But, the unfortunate has continued to prevail with rain gods playing a spoilsport in London, as the matches are far from sight on the open courts. The scenario has remained similar for several players throughout the tournament and one such name is Ben Shelton.
Ben Shelton started his campaign on Monday. Despite a hard-fought five-set victory over Mattia Bellucci (4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4) this year, he faced another match in the second round on Wednesday with no rest. This was due to the multiple delays Shelton faced on the first day due to rain. While he continued his trajectory in yet another thrilling encounter against Lloyd Harris, what is in sight for him is further delays. With Shelton scheduled to face his Canadian counterpart Denis Shapovalov in the third round, the rain has stopped the play on Court 3. The situation is similar for yet another American tennis star, Tommy Paul.
The Queen’s club champion Tommy Paul has been on a sensational run on grass this season so far. He handed a defeat to Otto Virtanen of Finland in a thrilling encounter, 4-6 6-3 5-7 7-5 6-4 in the second round. With Paul eyeing yet another victory to continue his winning momentum in Wimbledon, rain seems to be halting his play as well against the Kazhak player, Alexander Bublik on Court 2. Meanwhile, Madison Keys is also facing a similar fate.
The WTA tennis star is scheduled to play Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk in her third round. Having won her first two matches in straight sets, Keys must be hoping to repeat her sensational gameplay in the third round as well. However, the uncovered Court 12, will further make it difficult for her to start her campaign anytime soon, provided the heavy downpour. However, regardless of the weather, the action on Centre Court and 1:00 p.m. on No. 1 Court, due to both stadiums being fitted with retractable roofs.