The Wimbledon second round match between Stan Wawrinka and Gaël Monfils thrilled the spectators at Wimbledon. The match is interrupted at 6:7, 4:6, 5:5 and will be continued on Thursday.
Stan Wawrinka and Gaël Monfils provide the Wimbledon crowd with the best entertainment on Wednesday evening and are given a standing ovation shortly before half past ten. The match had to be interrupted as darkness fell at 6:7, 4:6, 5:5. The match continues on Thursday.
The tennis oldies not only impress the British spectators with spectacular tennis, the close friendship between the two is also evident in several scenes and penetrates the hearts of the audience.
"No problem, Stan thought so too"
For example, in the tie-break of the first set at 3:3, when Stan hammers an important forehand into the corner with millimetre precision and receives a loud "out" from the linesman. Chair umpire Marijana Veljovic overrules the decision and gives the Swiss the point. Monfils takes a challenge and is promptly wrong - the ball was actually in. 4:3 for Wawrinka.
Most tennis matches would be on fire by now - or so the umpire Veljovic thinks and reassures Monfils: "It looked like it was a winner." But the Frenchman is not at all rattled by what has happened. "No problem, Stan thought so too," comes the joking reply.
The two friends then engage in a sympathetic exchange of words in French, march to the net and hug each other warmly. Veljovic looks a little irritated, the audience roars with laughter.
"The last game?"
It is not the last time that Wawrinka and Monfils shout jokes at each other and make the audience laugh. Even as it gets darker and darker, the two athletes make no pretense of wanting to stop playing.
When Wawrinka almost provocatively unpacks a new racket shortly before half past ten and marches onto the court again, even Grand Slam supervisor Andreas Egli has to laugh. Finally, umpire Veljovic intervenes and explains to the two that they can only play one more game due to the approaching darkness.
"The last game?" asks Wawrinka and cheers the crowd on again. The spectators respond with loud applause and more laughter. Because it is now clear that Stan and Monfils will play each other again on Thursday, the last game quickly becomes a show event.
When Wawrinka slips on the baseline at 30:40, Monfils, who has advanced to the net, lovingly places the ball in the middle of the court so that the point is not over yet. Shortly afterwards, however, Wawrinka hits the ball into the net with his backhand after a Monfils lob.
The stadium rises to thunderous applause and gives them both a standing ovation. The third set is interrupted at 5:5 - the tennis show continues on Thursday.
