A match at Wimbledon had to be briefly paused on July 9 due to fans popping champagne bottles in the stands. Champagne is a staple of Wimbledon, with over 20,000 bottles drunk each year at the two-week tennis tournament. While official venue rules state that bottles must be opened before fans take their seats, that is not always the case. In 2019, a match between Benoit Paire and Jiri Vesely had to be paused after a champagne cork flew onto the court.
Today's incident occurred during a match between Anatasia Potapova and Mirra Andreeva. Potapova, ranked 23rd in the world, was the #22 seed at the tournament. Meanwhile, the 16-year-old Andreeva was making her Wimbledon debut. As Potapova prepared to serve, the loud popping of a champagne bottle echoed around Court 3. "Ladies and gentlemen, please, if you are opening a bottle of champagne, don't do it as the players are about to serve," requested umpire John Blom. Additionally, Andreeva would go on to upset her fellow Russian. She will face World number 18 Madison Keys in the fourth round.
Celebrities Show Out For Wimbledon
Amongst the game-disrupting champagne corks, plenty of celebrities have been spotted at the All-England Club over the past seven days. Middle Sunday was no different, with plenty of famous faces in attendance. Actress Sienna Miller (Interview, American Sniper) rocked up to Day 7 in a blue-and-white pinstripe suit. Furthermore, fellow actress Nicola Coughlan (Derry Girls, Bridgerton) looked wonderful in a simple white dress and a wicker handbag.
Wimbledon 2023 will be one of the most pivotal editions in history. Novak Djokovic is seeking to equal, or surpass, a whole host of records. With a title in London, Djokovic would equal Roger Federer's eight career Wimbledon titles. Additionally, he would match the five consecutive Wimbledon titles record held by Federer and Björn Borg. He would also equal Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 Grand Slam titles. However, he will face stiff competition from #1 seed Carlos Alcaraz. Follow all the latest sports news here at HotNewHipHop.
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