A 50cm venomous snake, identified as a deadly eastern brown snake, was spotted midway through Dominic Thiem's 2-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 comeback win over 20-year-old Australian James McCabe; Watch the Brisbane International live on Sky Sports from 1am on Sunday
Sunday 31 December 2023 08:28, UK
One of Australia's most venomous snakes stopped play during Dominic Thiem's first-round qualifying win over James McCabe at the Brisbane International on Saturday.
The former US Open champion was a set down to 20-year-old Australian McCabe at the time when fans spotted the snake near some courtside electrical wires.
The snake was identified as a 50cm eastern brown snake, one of Australia's most deadly reptiles.
The umpire had to stop play for approximately 40 minutes as the snake was safely removed by a professional snake catcher.
"I really love animals, especially exotic ones," Thiem said after recovering to clinch a 2-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 win.
"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."
Thiem will hope for no such interruptions for the remainder of his tournament as he now advances to the second and final round of qualifying for the Brisbane International.
The Austrian, who has slipped to 98th in the world rankings after injury struggles, is also expected to play in the qualifying draw for the Australian Open, which starts on 14 January.
Thiem reached the final of the Australian Open in 2020 when he pushed champion Novak Djokovic to five sets, while he won the US Open later that year for his first Grand Slam title.
The Brisbane International is live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Mix from 1am on Sunday morning. Stream tennis and more with NOW.
