Courtesy: Wimbledon Twitter
During a Wimbledon women’s singles clash between Anastasia Potapova and Mirra Andreeva on Court 3, a chair umpire politely asked the fans in attendance to not open a bottle of champagne when Potapova was about to serve. On July 9, Sunday, the moment happened when a fan decided to open the bottle of champagne when the two Russians were about to start play in the third-round contest.
The popping noise, which occurred as a consequence, disturbed the service routine of the 21st seed Anastasia Potapova. It gave the chair umpire from Australia, named John Blom, no other choice, but to halt the proceeding for a short period.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please, if you are opening a bottle of champagne, don’t do it as the players are about to serve,” announced the chair umpire to scattered applause from the fans at Court 3. The 22-year-old Russian player smirked and nodded in the affirmative, while the commentary team in the booth had a great laugh on live television as well.
Watch the video here:
The rules of the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) clearly state that “all corked bottles, including bottles of champagne and sparkling wine, must be opened prior to being taken into the stands of any court.”
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Meanwhile, the third-round women’s singles contest between the two Russians was won with a margin of 6-2, 7-5 by Mirra Andreeva, who isn’t of legal drinking age in the United Kingdom.
Wimbledon 2019 saw a cork flying onto the court during a men’s singles match
In 2019, during the third-round men’s singles match between Benoit Paire of France and Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic, a cork flew onto Court 18. This led to the chair umpire saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, for both players, enjoy your champagne, but please don’t open it on the court please.”
