Play was suspended at Wimbledon qualifying for just over an hour on Wednesday afternoon following a temporary loss of power which saw the electronic line calling system unable to function.
The event at the Lawn Tennis Association’s National Tennis Centre in Roehampton was paused at 12:15 pm (1115 GMT) before players were eventually able to get back on court to resume their matches from around 1:30 pm.
BBC commentator Annabel Croft referenced the “swelteringly hot” temperatures causing “a few power issues.”
The tournament is operating under an extreme heat weather warning, with the first priority being the welfare of players and guests. Although it is understood it is likely the heat was a factor in the outage, a full investigation will be undertaken in due course.
A spokesperson for the All England Club commented: “There was a temporary loss of power to part of our qualifying venue, which meant that the electronic line calling system could not function. Power has now been restored and play has resumed.”
Britain’s Dan Evans, looking to reach a final Wimbledon before his planned retirement, was one of those impacted by the delay as he lost in the second round of qualifying against Tristan Schoolkate, the Australian 28th seed closing out a 7-5 6-0 win when play resumed.
Schoolkate said of the issues in his post-match interview on the BBC: “It is not usually this hot in London, so it was unexpected – it usually rains a bit.
“I don’t think it was a heat thing, maybe it had something to do with the electronics and all that, but you get time to gather your thoughts. It was a bit strange, but I was just glad I came out of the gates pretty hot there.”
