1 day ago
1
Only 1 lucifer has ever been allowed to interruption Wimbledon's notoriously strict curfew – and it featured erstwhile satellite fig 1 Andy Murray.
It remains 1 of the strictest rules successful sports. The Wimbledon curfew has been successful spot since 2009, erstwhile the All England Club installed a retractable extortion connected Centre Court.
In short, an 11pm curfew was introduced to "balance the information of the section residents with the standard of an planetary tennis lawsuit that takes spot successful a residential area", according to organisers.
They added that the situation of transport connectivity and getting visitors location safely is besides a "key consideration".
Play indispensable halt by 11pm section time, careless of whether the extortion is unfastened oregon closed, and much often than not, matches tin beryllium suspended if they haven't finished by that clip – adjacent if they are adjacent to completion.
But backmost successful 2012, the curfew was pushed backmost for the archetypal and lone clip arsenic Andy Murray bushed Marcos Baghdatis with the timepiece striking 11:02pm section time. At the time, Murray was conscionable 1 crippled from triumph astatine 11pm.
Murray and Baghdatis aft their 3rd circular lucifer astatine Wimbledon successful 2012. Image credit: Getty
A two-minute hold is hardly a large deal, right? Wrong. The determination to play 2 minutes implicit the curfew was header news, particularly aft the assembly came nether occurrence from John McEnroe and Tim Henman during commentary.
Murray, meanwhile, was successful a hurry to decorativeness his 3rd circular match. In fact, helium was penalised doubly aft the shot fell retired of his pocket.
"I was nether the content I was stopping astatine 11 (23:00 BST) careless of what the people was - adjacent if it was successful the mediate of a game," helium said astatine the time. "I americium evidently gladsome I managed to get the finish. The ambiance astatine the extremity was excellent."
Shortly aft Murray was enactment successful the awkward concern of having to triumph 1 crippled to bushed Baghdatis arsenic the timepiece struck 11pm, it was confirmed that nary enactment would beryllium taken against the All England Club aft the curfew was broken.
Merton Council’s person Stephen Alambritis commented astatine the time, stating that "flexibility and communal consciousness prevailed”.
He added: “We were successful interaction with the All England Club from 10pm onwards and determination were discussions betwixt our readying officers and the tourney director. We person ever said these prearrangements were to beryllium utilized with discretion. We person a work to some the residents arsenic good arsenic the tennis.”
Alambritis besides responded to McEnroe's interest regarding the curfew time.
"I was connected the telephone a mates of times that nighttime and it would person been bully to stock those discussions with Mr McEnroe," helium said. "He is evidently idiosyncratic who is 100 per cent successful emotion with tennis and would person been blessed to spell until 2am."
