BBC apologises to viewers as Novak Djokovic’s Wimbledon match interrupted

Novak Djokovic’s Wimbledon match against Arthur Rinderknech was disrupted forcing the BBC to apologise to viewers

The BBC were compelled to issue an apology to viewers after a scoreboard technical fault during Novak Djokovic’s clash with Arthur Rinderknech at Wimbledon left fans without access to the score. Midway through the third set, having already claimed the opening two, the scoreboard vanished entirely from television screens.

The graphic was pulled completely, leaving BBC cameras with no option but to cut back and forth to the physical scoreboard inside Centre Court, with the top-left corner of the screen left empty. Lead commentator Andrew Cotter said: “Apologies for the lack of score graphic, we are working on it.”

When the scoreboard eventually reappeared, viewers may well have been taken aback to discover that Djokovic was 3-0 down in the third set, having appeared relatively comfortable in claiming 7-5 and 6-4 set victories against his French opponent beforehand.

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Those glued to their screens certainly wouldn’t have missed Djokovic’s meltdown as he quickly found himself 4-0 down and proceeded to strike himself on the leg 11 times during a changeover.

He went on to surrender the third set 6-1, sparking significant concern in the Wimbledon heat, with Friday proving to be the hottest day of the Championship to date. The tennis legend rallied though and would go on to win the match 3-1 in sets.

Djokovic, 39, had previously struggled in sweltering conditions at the French Open during his loss to youngster Joao Fonseca, and his self-striking is part of a personal massaging technique.

The BBC has faced a barrage of criticism throughout the tournament’s opening week, including complaints over their coverage of Serena Williams’ return, which some viewers branded as ‘biased’.

However, the broadcaster is not thought to be responsible for the scoreboard issue. The Centre Court feeds at the All England Club also lost their scoreboard access, which are connected to the BBC.

The relentless channel-switching, forcing viewers to flick between BBC1, BBC2 and iPlayer, has prompted a wave of complaints from frustrated fans.

The broadcaster moved BBC1 coverage away from Wimbledon in order to show the World Cup for England’s knockout clash against DR Congo.

Many viewers were left blindsided, as the original schedule had indicated that tennis coverage would remain before being quietly updated.