Roman Safiullin's wife, Liudmyla Smolanova, could not bear to watch as her husband battled Joao Fonseca in the first set of their Wimbledon third-round match on Court Three. The tense moment came when Fonseca's return shot hit the top of the net and crawled over, a stroke of fortune that left BBC commentators in disbelief.
Lucky Net Cord Sparks Reaction
Fonseca, aiming for his first Wimbledon last-16 appearance, found himself trailing 5-3 in the first set with Safiullin serving for the set. As Safiullin's serve approached, Fonseca's return clipped the net cord and dribbled over, giving him an unexpected point. It was not the first such incident in the match, prompting the BBC commentary team to exclaim: "It's happened again."
Fonseca quickly apologized to Safiullin, but the camera then panned to Smolanova in the crowd, who was looking down at the floor. Commentator Odgers remarked: "Wife can't watch and you can understand when stuff like that happens."
Safiullin Wins Set, Wife Relieved
Despite the lucky break, Safiullin held his nerve and won the set a couple of minutes later. Odgers then noted: "Wife happy now." The match continued with Safiullin looking to advance to the fourth round.
More to Follow
This is a developing story. Stay tuned for the latest updates, pictures, and video on this Wimbledon encounter.
