Dan Evans' farewell match at Wimbledon was suspended after just three games when a persistent, piercing noise echoed near the court, which proved to be a fire alarm. The former world No. 21 has called time on his career at Wimbledon after his partnership with Henry Searle, whom he has recently started mentoring, saw their goodbye quickly cut short.
Match Interrupted by Alarm
The all-British duo secured a wildcard spot in the men's doubles competition and faced No. 9 seeds Hugo Nys and Edouard Roger-Vasselin. It proved a challenging start for the departing Evans, as he and Searle quickly fell 0-3 behind after the 20-year-old lost his serve. All four competitors took their positions at the changeover at 0-3, with Evans set to serve next. However, they remained stuck at their seats when a thunderous racket echoed around the cosy Court 15, according to the Mirror.
An alarm seemed to be blaring close by, leading Evans to quiz the umpire about the situation. The chair official was seen grabbing the phone to investigate the disruption, while the Brits suggested: "We can play." The umpire told all four competitors: "They're checking what it is, they're also not sure. You guys want to wait... It sounds like an alarm."
Security Confirms Fire Alarm
Her hunches were quickly validated, as she then informed the British wildcards: "Security says it's a fire alarm." Officials made the call to halt the match, with the umpire announcing to spectators 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 twirled his racket while seated and waiting. A supervisor then walked onto the court and informed the players they could make their own choice. "Can we play?" Evans asked. "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 replied.
Match Resumes but Evans Loses
The alarm finally stopped when Roger-Vasselin was serving at 40-15 in the fifth game. Nevertheless, the Brits still had worries as they trailed by a break. Things got worse as Evans was broken to concede the set 6-2 in half an hour. They proceeded to drop the second set 6-4 in 38 minutes, drawing the curtain on Evans' career.
He wasn't awarded one of the eight wildcards in the singles. The 36-year-old appeared emotional after the match as he held back tears.
