Dominic Thiem advances in Brisbane after snake stops play at Australia tennis tournament

The Brisbane International qualifying match between Dominic Thiem and Australian James McCabe faced a 40-minute suspension on Saturday due to a snake making its way onto 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 discovered among the electrical wires alongside the court, visible to the spectators.

This sighting prompted officials to halt play momentarily, calling in security staff for assistance. A specialist was called in 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, staged a comeback in the second set, clinching a hard-fought 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-4 victory. This win secured his entry into the main draw of the pre-Australian Open tournament.

Australian Open 2024, the year’s inaugural Grand Slam kicks off on January 14th in Melbourne. Rafael Nadal, the former world number one, will make his tennis comeback at the Brisbane tournament on Sunday. He’ll team up with Marc Lopez, his partner from their 2016 Olympic gold medal-winning performance.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion has drawn a qualifier in the singles event, marking the beginning of what might be his farewell tour. This return follows his recovery from a persistent hip injury that required surgery in June. In the women’s draw, Japan’s four-time major winner, Naomi Osaka, is also making her return after a maternity break. She’s set to face Tamara Korpatsch in her first match back on the court.