Published December 30,2023
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Former U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem had his match in the first round of qualifying for the Brisbane International interrupted by a deadly snake on Saturday.
One of the most poisonous snakes in Australia made its way onto the court during the match between Thiem and James McCabe.
The umpire put the game on hold after spectators spotted the 50-centimetre brown snake from the stands. The animal was removed from the venue by a snake catcher and nobody was harmed in the incident.
The play was then allowed to resume and Thiem claimed a 2-6, 7-6, 6-4 win.
"I really love animals, especially exotic ones. But it was a really poisonous snake and it was near the ball kids, so it was a really dangerous situation," Thiem said.
"Something like this has never happened to me before, it's something I'll definitely never forget," he added.
