BRISBANE: Former US Open champion Dominic Thiem huffed and puffed his way into the main draw of the Brisbane International on Saturday, 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.
Eastern browns are capable of delivering a potent bite and their venom can result in progressive paralysis and uncontrollable bleeding, according to the website of the Australian Museum. Australia is home to 20 of the world’s 25 most venomous, but deaths from bites are rare.
“I really love animals, especially exotic ones,” the former world number three Thiem told reporters after the match. “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.”
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 (7/4), 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 number one 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-times 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 of a niggling hip injury that required surgery in June.
It was feared that Nadal, the winner of 22 Grand Slam singles titles, would never play professionally again.
However, he has fought his way back and was granted a wildcard to the season-opening Brisbane International in preparation for the first Grand Slam of the year at Melbourne Park beginning January 14.
If Nadal advances, he will play Russia’s eighth-seeded Aslan Karatsev or Australian wildcard Jason Kubler in the second round, with fourth seed Ugo Humbert lurking as a potential quarter-final opponent.
Britain’s Andy Murray drew second-seeded Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov in an intriguing first-round clash.
Murray is a two-time winner of the Brisbane International, and beat Dimitrov in the final in 2013.
Dimitrov won their last encounter at this year’s US Open.
“I need to play really well, certainly much better than there, if I want to get through it,” Murray said.
In the women’s draw, four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka will be pitted against Germany’s world number 84 Tamara Korpatsch in the opening round as she makes her highly anticipated return.
The Japanese star, who gave birth to daughter Shai in July and has previously struggled with her mental health, has not played since September 2022.
“I wasn’t in my own body. I was driving the wrong car, if that makes sense. Slowly, step by step we put in so much work and got myself to where I am now,” Osaka told reporters on Saturday.
If she sees off Korpatsch, she will face three-time Brisbane champion Karolina Pliskova in the second round.
World number two Aryna Sabalenka received a first round bye.
Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2023