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The qualifying match at the Brisbane International between Dominic Thiem and Australian James McCabe faced a 40-minute suspension on December 30 due to the presence of a snake on the court. McCabe had secured the first set with a 6-2 victory against the 2020 US Open champion just before the interruption, as the snake was found among the electrical wires alongside the court, visible to the spectators.
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Upon sighting the snake, officials temporarily halted play, calling in security staff for assistance. A specialist was summoned to capture the 50-cm (20-inch) reptile, reportedly identified by local media as an eastern brown snake—a highly venomous species. This unexpected interruption extended the delay in play by 40 minutes.
"I really love animals, especially exotic ones. But they said it was a really poisonous snake and it was close to the ballkids, so it was a really dangerous situation," Thiem said. "It's something that has never happened to me and is something I'll definitely never forget," Thiem told reporters after the match.
Thiem, currently ranked 98th globally due to injury setbacks, mounted a comeback in the second set, securing a hard-fought 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-4 victory. This triumph secured his entry into the main draw of the pre-Australian Open tournament.
The Australian Open 2024, the first Grand Slam of the year, commences on January 14 in Melbourne. Rafael Nadal, the former world number one, is set to return to tennis at the Brisbane tournament on December 30. He will be partnering with Marc Lopez, his teammate from their 2016 Olympic gold medal-winning performance.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion is slated to face a qualifier in the singles event, signalling the start of what could be his farewell tour. This comeback follows his recuperation from a persistent hip injury that necessitated surgery in June. In the women's draw, Japan's four-time major winner, Naomi Osaka, is also returning after a maternity break. Her first match back on the court will be against Tamara Korpatsch.
(Powered by AI, Inputs by India Today)
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