Wimbledon: Zverev's Round of 16 Match Against Lehecka Suspended Due to Curfew

After a shaky start and three break points against him, he delivered a focused performance. With a smash, he then claimed Lehecka's fifth service game to make it 5:4 and shortly afterward took the first set. The same picture in the second section, in which Zverev again had to fend off two break points. With a strong backhand shot at deuce, he converted his second break point chance for the decisive break, before the 29-year-old prevented the tiebreak with a love service game.

Why Wimbledon Has a Curfew

The third set remained evenly contested as well. Curiously, Zverev again had to fend off two break points. This time, he held his service game to make it 2:2. The decision against Czech player Jiri Lehecka was postponed shortly before 11 p.m. London time with the score at 6:4, 7:5, 3:3 from his perspective.

The curfew at 11:00 p.m. local time (12:00 a.m. CEST) serves on the one hand to protect residents from noise. On the other hand, according to the organizers, it is intended to allow visitors to get home by public transportation. In contrast to the other three Grand Slam tournaments, play at Wimbledon does not extend into the early morning hours.

Resumption on Tuesday Afternoon

This afternoon (not before 2:30 p.m. local time), the match will be resumed. The match is again scheduled on Centre Court and will be played as the second match in the afternoon following the women's quarterfinal between the two Americans Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff (2nd match after 2:30 p.m./Prime Video).

With the major advantage of a 2-0 set lead, the 29-year-old goes into the second part of the duel. He still needs the third set to advance. In the event of reaching the quarterfinals, Zverev will, however, be missing the usual day off before his next appearance due to the curfew and resumption.

Outlook: Possible Premiere Against Fritz

Who Zverev would face in a potential quarterfinal is already determined: Taylor Fritz. The American world No. 7 prevailed in a strong performance in just 1:38 hours of playing time, winning 7:6 (7:1), 6:4, 6:3 against Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik. The 28-year-old serving giant is an unpleasant opponent for Zverev: most recently in the semifinal in Halle/Westfalen, and also in the round of 16 at Wimbledon in 2024, he has won all of the most recent seven direct encounters. Against whom she came off second best in seven matches in a row.

The starting position for Zverev ahead of a potential quarterfinal on Wednesday is therefore difficult — not only because of the lack of a rest day, but also because of the record against the American. His next opponent on Wednesday would be the American Taylor Fritz.

In his nine previous appearances at the grass classic, Zverev has never managed to make it into the top eight. He has never managed a win against a top-20 player. Should the Tokyo Olympic champion and French Open winner overcome these hurdles, it would be a premiere.

This is a news item directly from the dpa news channel.

Tennis World