NEW DELHI: Play was briefly stopped during a first-round match at the Australian Open on Sunday after a ball girl collapsed amid rising temperatures, prompting players Zeynep Sonmez and Ekaterina Alexandrova to rush to her aid.The incident occurred during the second set as Russian 11th seed Alexandrova was serving, when the ball girl suddenly fell backward near the umpire’s chair.
Turkish qualifier Sonmez immediately ran across to assist, while Alexandrova collected ice packs from a courtside refrigerator as medical staff attended to the girl.With temperatures touching 28 degrees Celsius, play was suspended for several minutes before resuming. Once action restarted, Sonmez went on to pull off the biggest win of her career, defeating Alexandrova 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.The 23-year-old Sonmez had made headlines at Wimbledon last year by becoming the first Turkish player in the Open era to reach the third round of a Grand Slam. She will next face either American wildcard Elizabeth Mandlik or Hungary’s Anna Bondar.The Australian Open is no stranger to extreme heat, with temperatures often climbing beyond 40°C. Forecasts suggest highs of at least 36°C later this week.
