Tennis may no longer be played at Wimbledon after 11 p.m.

Alexander Zverev quickly signed a few autographs, posed for a selfie, and then disappeared from Centre Court. After his first-round match at the grass-court classic in Wimbledon was abandoned due to the curfew, the world number three tennis player must avoid an early exit on Tuesday. With the score at 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (10-8), he will face Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech.

In contrast to Zverev, the underdog sat on his chair for several minutes shortly before 11:00 p.m. local time, eating a banana. He only crept off the court, dejected, when the stands had almost completely emptied.

Even though the score is 1-1 in sets, Zverev was able to go to bed feeling better. The 28-year-old fended off three set points from his opponent in the second set and celebrated winning the tie-break with a loud scream.

The two will play again on Centre Court on Tuesday after the match between Czech defending champion Barbora Krejcikova and Alexandra Eala of the Philippines, which is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CEST (1:30 p.m. local time).

Zverev's match with Rinderknech only began at 8:53 p.m. local time on Monday. Unlike the other three Grand Slam tournaments, Wimbledon doesn't play until the early morning. The 11:00 p.m. local time curfew was introduced in 2009, when a retractable roof was installed over Center Court, allowing games to be played under floodlights. In an earlier statement, the organizers justified the late-evening end of the tennis day by citing noise protection for local residents. They also wanted to ensure that visitors could return home safely using public transportation.

Like Zverev, Taylor Fritz also has to stay after the match. The world number five fought back from a 0-2 set deficit against Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, and the fifth round is scheduled for Tuesday. Fritz is a possible quarterfinal opponent for Zverev, having won the American's last five matches.

Zverev's chances of advancing beyond the round of 16 at Wimbledon for the first time and challenging for his coveted first Grand Slam title are greater than they've been in a long time. Halfway through the draw, the German number one has already seen several notable potential future opponents bow out early.

Former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev lost to Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi in four sets. Zverev has lost 12 of his last 14 encounters with his arch-rival Medvedev. Former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini of Italy, who has struggled with injuries recently, also failed.