Roman Safiullin's wife, Liudmyla Smolanova, was too nervous to watch as her husband faced Joao Fonseca in the first set of their Wimbledon third-round match on Friday. Fonseca, attempting to reach the last 16 for the first time, trailed 5-3 when a net-cord return gave him an unexpected point. BBC commentator Pete Odgers exclaimed, "It's happened again," as Fonseca immediately apologised to Safiullin. The camera showed Smolanova looking at the floor, prompting Odgers to say, "Wife can't watch, and you can understand when stuff like that happens."
Safiullin Seals Set, Wife Rejoices
Safiullin regained composure and won the set 6-3. The camera then showed Smolanova smiling and filming, with Odgers adding, "Wife happy now." Safiullin went on to dominate the match, winning 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 to reach the fourth round.
Emotional Victory After Injury Battle
In his post-match interview, a visibly emotional Safiullin said, "From the final round of qualifying until now, I've faced super tough matches. I've been saving match points, spending four hours on court each match, battling through five sets. It was super tough, but I'm very happy to perform at this level and finally win in three sets today." He added, "After the US Open, I had to stop playing to treat my injury. That time was super tough for me because half a year ago I didn't know if I would be able to come back. I didn't know, so I'm super happy to be back here."
