A match at the Australian Open faced a delay when a ball kid vomited on the court. Greek player Stefano Tsitsipas was up against Japan’s Shintaro Mochizuki in the tournament’s first round on Tuesday.
Mochizuki claimed the first set at 6-4, but Tsitsipas rallied to win the second set at 6-3. However, at the beginning of the third set, a ball kid fell ill near the court’s back, triggering a disturbance in the crowd.
The game halted immediately, and medical staff attended to the unwell ball kid while both Tsitsipas and Mochizuki retreated to their seats. This incident occurred shortly after Naomi Osaka’s match against Antonia Ruzic was paused at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.
Initially puzzled, TNT Sports’ commentators questioned the reason for the interruption in the match between Mochizuki and Tsitsipas. They opted to wait for the issue to be resolved before proceeding.
The court was cleaned, and play resumed eight minutes later, with Tsitsipas securing victory in the following two sets at 6-2. This win set up a second-round meeting for Tsitsipas against Czechia’s Tomas Machac. Unfortunately, this was not the first instance of a ball kid falling ill at this year’s tournament.
In a separate incident earlier in the week, another ball kid fainted during the Zeynep Sonmez and Ekaterina Alexandrova match. Sonmez promptly assisted the distressed girl, aiding her to a shaded area, and play resumed after a brief delay.
Acknowledging Sonmez’s quick action, TNT commentator Catherine Whitaker praised her for her attentiveness and compassion during the distressing moment.
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