New Delhi,UPDATED: Dec 30, 2023 14:39 IST
The Brisbane International qualifying match between Dominic Thiem and Australian James McCabe confronted a 40-minute suspension on Saturday as a consequence of a snake making its means onto the courtroom. McCabe had secured the primary set with a 6-2 victory towards the 2020 US Open champion simply earlier than the interruption, because the snake was found among the many electrical wires alongside the courtroom, seen to the spectators.
This sighting prompted officers to halt play momentarily, calling in safety employees for help. A specialist was known as in to seize the 50-cm (20-inch) reptile, reportedly recognized by native media as an jap brown snake—a extremely venomous species. This surprising interruption prolonged the delay in play by 40 minutes.
“I actually love animals, particularly unique ones. But they mentioned it was a very toxic snake and it was near the ballkids, so it was a very harmful state of affairs,” Thiem mentioned. “It’s one thing that has by no means occurred to me and is one thing I’ll undoubtedly always remember,” Thiem informed reporters after the match.
Thiem, at present ranked 98th globally as a consequence of damage setbacks, staged a comeback within the second set, clinching a hard-fought 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-4 victory. This win secured his entry into the principle draw of the pre-Australian Open event.
Australian Open 2024, the 12 months’s inaugural Grand Slam kicks off on January 14th in Melbourne. Rafael Nadal, the previous world primary, will make his tennis comeback on the Brisbane event on Sunday. He’ll workforce up with Marc Lopez, his companion from their 2016 Olympic gold medal-winning efficiency.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion has drawn a qualifier within the singles occasion, marking the start of what could be his farewell tour. This return follows his restoration from a persistent hip damage that required surgical procedure in June. In the ladies’s draw, Japan’s four-time main winner, Naomi Osaka, can also be making her return after a maternity break. She’s set to face Tamara Korpatsch in her first match again on the courtroom.
