GREAT Britain’s Aljaz Bedene overcame bugs and a Bosnian to reach round three at Wimbledon.
The world No 58 battled past Damir Dzumhur in four sets amid a swarm of flying ants. Dzumhur is a former child actor and at times Court Three resembled a horror film as the insects descended.
Nevertheless, the British No 4 kept his composure to swat his opponent aside 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-3. Bedene survived 44 aces from Ivo Karlovic in a four-and-a-half-hour marathon on Monday, but this was an entirely different test.
He broke Dzumhur’s opening serve but was immediately pegged back, before snatching the first set with a further break in game eight.
The ants arrived midway through the second, and while both players just about managed to maintain their focus it was Dzumhur who edged the set.
Early breaks were shared in the third but Bedene held his nerve to grab another crucial break to go back ahead 2-1.
Bedene was by now buzzing as he took control of the fourth set to secure victory and a meeting with 16th seed Gilles Muller of Luxembourg.
Bedene told the BBC: “I was playing quite solid tennis, he gave me a few easy games which helped, so I’m happy.”
Meanwhile, Stan Wawrinka’s conqueror Daniil Medvedev has apologised for throwing money at an umpire’s chair at the end of his second-round defeat to Ruben Bemelmans.
Medvedev ended the match in disgrace after taking exception to some of the decisions by umpire Mariana Alves.
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