Ben Shelton’s One-Minute Wimbledon Win: Darkness Delay to Third-Round Triumph

American tennis star Ben Shelton sealed a swift victory at the Wimbledon Championships on Friday, wrapping up his second-round match against Rinky Hijikata in a mere minute after a frustrating suspension due to darkness. Leading 6-2, 7-5, 5-4 on Thursday night, Shelton was serving for the match when play was halted at 9:29 p.m. local time. Visibly irritated, he had to be calmed by an official after debating the call with the umpire.

Returning to the court Friday morning, Shelton needed just one service game to clinch the win, advancing to the third round with confidence. "I hadn’t been broken since my first set in the first round," he said post-match, reflecting on the challenging conditions. "We knew we were playing in less-than-ideal circumstances, but I came out and did what I do."

The world No. 10 now faces Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics on Saturday, aiming to surpass his previous Wimbledon best of reaching the fourth round. With semifinal appearances at the Australian and U.S. Opens under his belt, Shelton’s aggressive playstyle is one to watch. His brief Friday outing—30 minutes of warm-up for a one-minute match—left him humorously unsure whether to practice or take the day off.