Deadly snake interrupts Dominic Thiem match at Brisbane tennis tournament
Thiem’s match against Australian youngster James McCabe had to be stopped when a poisonous snake was spotted on court
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Former US Open champion Dominic Thiem huffed and puffed his way into the main draw of the Brisbane International but not before a hissing intruder slithered onto the court and briefly halted play.
Thiem lost the opening set of his qualifying clash against Australian youngster James McCabe before eagle-eyed fans spotted a snake near the courtside electrical wires, prompting officials to call in security staff and stop play.
A professional was brought in to catch the 50-cm (20-inch) reptile, which local media identified as a deadly eastern brown snake, holding up play for 40 minutes.
“I really love animals, especially exotic ones,” Thiem said. “But they said it was a really poisonous snake and it was close to the ballkids, so it was a really dangerous situation.”
“It’s something that has never happened to me and is something I’ll definitely never forget,” the former world number three told reporters after the match.
Thiem, who has slipped to 98 in the world amid injury struggles, fought back in the second set before sealing a 2-6, 7-6, 6-4 win to reach the main draw of the Australian Open tune-up tournament.
The year’s first grand slam begins on Jan. 14 in Melbourne.
Former world No 1 Rafa Nadal will return to tennis at the Brisbane tournament on Sunday when he plays a doubles match alongside Marc Lopez, whom he partnered in 2016 to claim an Olympic gold medal.
The 22-time grand slam champion drew a qualifier in the singles draw as he geared up for the first stop of what could be his farewell tour, after shaking off a niggling hip injury that required surgery in June.
Naomi Osaka, Japan’s four-time major winner, is also returning to tennis in the women’s draw after her maternity break and plays Tamara Korpatsch.
Reuters
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments