Alejandro Tabilo’s debut at the ATP 500 at Queen’s had an unexpected ending. The Chilean was up by a break in the third set, when his rival, the Spanish Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, requested that the match be suspended because the grass court was very slippery.
Tabilo did not share the request and in fact was very opposed to the duel being suspended. Leading 2-0 in the final set, he was in one of his best moments of the day and understood that victory was close. Something that will finally last until tomorrow, since those in charge of the tournament heeded Davidovich’s request.
The Spanish player complained repeatedly at the beginning of the second set, but after going up a break he did not raise the issue again until the third set. There it was after a volley where he ended up on the floor, that he refused to continue playing. Tabilo, for his part, was emphatic that the match had to continue, but after talking for long minutes with the tournament supervisor he ended up understanding that the decision had been made.
The match in this way will resume this Tuesday at a time to be confirmed. The Chilean will go into service at 7-6(6), 3-6 and 2-0 in the first round of the ATP 500 at Queen’s, an event that appears to be his only preparation for Wimbledon, which begins on July 1.
Also in England, but about 400 kilometers north of London, Christian Garin also played a match on the British grass. The northerner made his debut against Terence Atmane in the main draw of the Challenger 125 in Ilkley, where Tomás Barrios is also playing.
Garin had lost the first set 7-6(4) when the organization of the event decided to suspend the match due to lack of light. The latter, mainly due to the significant delays that the contest held near Manchester had due to rain. The national match, for example, was scheduled for 8:00 a.m. Chilean time, but it only took the field after 1:00 p.m.
With the suspension of this Monday, Tuesday’s matchday in Ilkley will have a double national presence, since Tomás Barrios will also play his first round match. He will play against the Frenchman Hugo Gaston in search of the invitation to the main draw of Wimbledon that is awarded to the winner of the singles.
