BRISBANE, Australia — Former U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem had a brush with one in all Australia’s most venomous snakes throughout a qualifying match on the Brisbane International on Saturday.
The former world No.3 was a set right down to 20-year-old Australian James McCabe in a primary spherical qualifying match when followers courtside noticed the snake.
Security personnel shortly arrived, however the umpire needed to cease play because the snake slithered on to the courtroom to the shock of the gamers and followers.
“I really love animals, especially exotic ones,” Thiem stated. “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 snake – recognized as a 50 centimeter japanese brown snake and one in all Australia’s most dangerous reptiles -was quickly safely eliminated permitting play to renew.
But Thiem was not but out of hazard as he needed to save three match factors earlier than leveling the match by profitable the second set tiebreak. The 30-year-old then went on to clinch the deciding set for a 2-6. 7-6 (4), 6-4 win.
The Austrian, at the moment ranked No.98 after a number of years with a difficult wrist damage, will face both Italian Giulio Zeppieri or one other Australian, Omar Jasika, within the last qualifying spherical tomorrow.
Thiem reached the ultimate of the Australian Open in 2020 when he pushed champion Novak Djokovic to 5 units, and gained the US Open later that yr.
