Wimbledon match halted as players forced to stop while umpire checks with security. Dan Evans' doubles match with Henry Searle at Wimbledon on Wednesday was suspended just three games in when a persistent, shrill noise rang out near the court, which turned out to be a fire alarm.
Match Suspended After Three Games
The all-British duo received a wildcard entry into the men's doubles draw and faced No 9 seeds Hugo Nys and Edouard Roger-Vasselin. It was a challenging start for the retiring Evans, as he and Searle quickly fell 0-3 behind after the 20-year-old had his serve broken.
All four players took their seats at the changeover at 0-3, with Evans scheduled to serve next. However, they remained stranded at their benches when a piercing noise echoed around the compact Court 15.
Umpire Consults Security
An alarm seemed to be going off nearby, prompting Evans to quiz the umpire about what was occurring. The chair official was seen reaching for the phone to investigate the disturbance, while the Brits interjected: "We can play." The umpire told all four players: "They're checking what it is, they're also not sure. You guys want to wait... It sounds like an alarm." Her suspicions were quickly validated, as she then informed the British wildcards: "Security says it's a fire alarm."
Match officials chose to suspend play, with the umpire addressing the crowd on Court 15: "Ladies and gentlemen, due to the sound coming from the speaker, we will hold the players for a bit until we can continue. Thank you for your patience." Former British No. 1 Evans idly spun his racket while seated and waiting for play to resume.
Players Allowed to Continue
A supervisor subsequently stepped on to the court and informed the players that the choice was theirs to make. "Can we play?" Evans enquired. "You guys can all play if you want to, you don't have to stop. I don't think there's any reason to stop," the supervisor responded.
The alarm finally fell silent while Roger-Vasselin was serving at 40-15 in the fifth game. Nevertheless, the British pair still had cause for concern, finding themselves a break down. The situation worsened as Evans was broken to surrender the set 6-2 in just half an hour. They subsequently dropped the second set 6-4 in 38 minutes, drawing the curtain on Evans' professional career after he wasn't given a singles wildcard.
