Wimbledon qualifying was suspended for almost an hour-and-a-half on Wednesday due to a power outage at Roehampton. The tournament's Electronic Line Calling (ELC) system failed as a result, and it meant players faced lengthy disruption as they went off court to shelter away from the brutally hot conditions.
Heat 'Wreaks Havoc' with Technology
BBC commentator Annabel Croft suggested that the heat was 'wreaking havoc' with the ELC system, as temperatures climbed above 34°C in London. Wimbledon moved away from line judges last year in favour of the automatic system. There was controversy in the fourth-round match between Sonay Kartal and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on Centre Court when it was revealed the system had accidentally been deactivated for a game.
Wimbledon chiefs will be hoping to avoid similar issues this year, but the power failure on Wednesday afternoon amid soaring temperatures will be a concern. 'There was a temporary loss of power to part of our Qualifying venue, which meant that the electronic line calling system could not function,' a spokesperson for the All England Club said. 'Power has now been restored and play is expected to resume shortly.'
Dan Evans' Singles Career Ends
Dan Evans was one of those impacted as his singles career came to an end with defeat in the second round of Wimbledon qualifying. The 36-year-old has announced he will be retiring after the Championships and was left out of the list of wildcards into the main draws. That meant Evans had to rely on making it through three matches at Roehampton, but he fell at the second hurdle on Wednesday against Tristan Schoolkate.
The Australian won 7-5 6-0 in a match that was hit by the power issues in between sets. Evans had a break point at 5-5 in the first set but could not take it. He was then immediately broken himself as Schoolkate moved a set away from victory. The pair went off court for almost 90 minutes while tournament organisers attempted to restore power.
Schoolkate Pays Tribute
When play eventually resumed, the Australian breezed through the second set to bagel Evans and wrap up victory. 'It wasn't an easy match-up,' Schoolkate said. 'I think Dan is a phenomenal player. I wish him all the best, after his career. I looked up to guys like him for a long time. So much of the tennis nowadays is same old, same old, but watching him dink it around, his slice is amazing and he's a great competitor. So many young kids can learn a lot from Dan.'
Evans will still feature at Wimbledon next week after he was given a wildcard into the men's doubles alongside Henry Searle.
