NEWS
OTHER SPORTS
DIARY
PEOPLE
MATCH REPORTS
SLIDE SHOW
ARCHIVES

Bad light stops Kafelnikov and Larsson thriller

Wimbledon fans booed and jeered as fading light stopped a thrilling first-round match between former world No 1 Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Swede Magnus Larsson at 5-5 in the fifth set on Monday.

Third seed Kafelnikov had looked in danger of becoming the first seed to go out of the championships when he was trailing Larsson, ranked 53rd in the world, 7-6, 5-7, 6-7, 6-4, 2-4. But Kafelnikov, the Australian Open champion who has lost twice to Larsson in three previous meetings on grass, fought back, breaking the Swede as he served for the match at 5-4.

Kafelnikov, who was warned twice for bad-tempered behaviour, readily agreed when All England Club officials came out on court to suggest a suspension until Tuesday after three hours 18 minutes of play.

Agencies