Stefanos Tsitsipas began his Australian Open campaign with authority, defeating Shintaro Mochizuki in their first-round clash. It marked their second meeting of the season, following Tsitsipas’ 6-3, 6-4 win at the United Cup. The win, however, was briefly interrupted when play paused after a ball kid fell unwell, underscoring the physical strain of this year’s demanding Happy Slam.

Play was suspended at the start of the third set when a ball kid became unwell. It was soon discovered that the ball kid had vomited near the back of the court, forcing an immediate stoppage in play.

Both Stefanos Tsitsipas and Shintaro Mochizuki returned to their benches as medical staff rushed to assist. The situation was handled quickly, but the interruption drew concern from everyone inside the stadium.

TNT Sports commentators in the UK were initially unsure about the cause of the delay. “We’re delayed here, we’ll stop and wait for it to get sorted. Goodness me, everything is going on. Something in the crowd, is it?” one said during the broadcast.

Another commentator suggested a different issue. “At the Rod Laver Arena earlier on, there was a technical issue,” he added, referring to the lighting problem during Naomi Osaka’s match against Antonia Zuzic. The broadcaster briefly cut away as treatment continued.

The match had already lacked rhythm before the incident. Both Tsitsipas and Mochizuki had earlier received medical treatment, turning the match into a stop-start affair with a second suspension inside 30 minutes. During the delay, both players spoke with their teams from the sidelines.

Play resumed around eight minutes later. Tsitsipas, a former finalist, had earlier lost the opening set to the Japanese world No.112 but responded strongly to take the second set.

Mochizuki was serving under pressure at the start of the third set when the match was halted. He opened the game with a 40-0 lead but was dragged back to deuce. Holding another game point, the 22-year-old was forced to stop playing due to the incident.

The pause proved costly for Mochizuki. He was broken immediately after play resumed, giving the No.31 seed early control. Tsitsipas later sealed the fourth set to win the match. 

While the Greek dominated their meeting 18 days ago at the United Cup, this Australian Open clash was far tighter. 

And off the court, the ball kid incident is now added to a growing list of disruptions at this year’s tournament.

Ekaterina Alexandrova’s match briefly stopped after ball kid collapsed on court

Just a few days ago, a similar incident occurred during Ekaterina Alexandrova’s match on the opening day. Her contest against Zeynep Sonmez was briefly halted for several minutes.

Alexandrova was serving for the second set to level the match when the incident happened. A ball girl standing near the umpire’s chair suddenly fell flat on her back.

She attempted to get up quickly, but it was clear she was affected by the harsh conditions. Concern spread across the court within seconds.

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Sonmez reacted immediately. She sprinted across the court and helped the ball girl walk to the side. She stayed with her until the medical staff arrived.

The ball girl was placed in the shade to receive treatment. Alexandrova also stepped in and went to the fridge to bring ice bags. 

The ball girl soon managed to stand again. Medical staff then escorted her off the court. Play resumed after a six-minute delay once she was confirmed to be stable.

An earlier scare also occurred on day one of Australian Open qualifying. During Moez Echargui’s match against Luca Van Assche, a ball kid suddenly lost balance and collapsed near the baseline.

Echargui reacted instantly and sprinted over to help as officials rushed in. The ball kid was soon back on their feet, easing fears in the crowd. 

As the second round unfolds in rising summer heat Down Under, concerns grow over protective measures for players, ball kids, and staff.