Zeynep Sonmez from Turkey hurried to assist a ball girl who fainted during the surprising first-round win over Ekaterina Alexandrova at the Australian Open.
While Alexandrova was serving for the second set to tie the match, the ball girl – who stood by the umpire’s chair – collapsed flat on her back before quickly recovering.
Sonmez dashed over to her and helped guide her to the side of the court, where she received medical assistance in the shade.
The ball girl was able to stand again and was escorted off the court by medical personnel, with the game resuming after a six-minute interruption.
The 11th seed Alexandrova from Russia won the set, but world number 112 Sonmez made a comeback from 3-0 down in the final set to claim a 7-5 4-6 6-4 victory on her fourth match point.
This marks the most significant win of the 23-year-old’s career and advances her to the second round at Melbourne Park for the first time.
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Britain’s Fery triggers first shock of the Australian Open
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1 hour ago
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Sunday at Melbourne Park saw temperatures peak at 28C as the first Grand Slam of the year commenced, with forecasts indicating a rise to 35C by Saturday, January 24.
Following studies on heat stress impacts on tennis players, the Australian Open revised its extreme heat policy (EHP) in 2019.
This led to the creation of the heat stress scale (HSS), which determines when conditions become too difficult and when players’ health might be in jeopardy.
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