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Sonmez Helps Fainting Ball Girl, Then Upsets No. 11 Seed at Australian Open

Her intervention spotlighted heat concerns at Melbourne Park, where the ball girl's condition has not been disclosed.

Overview

  • A ball girl collapsed beside the chair during the second set at 1573 Arena, and Zeynep Sonmez halted play to assist until medics took over.
  • As they walked off, the ball girl fainted again and Sonmez caught her before guiding her to on-site medical staff.
  • After roughly a six-minute pause, Sonmez defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 to advance to the second round.
  • Ranked No. 112, Sonmez is reported to be the first Turkish woman to reach the Australian Open second round and said it is more important to be a good human than a good tennis player.
  • Daytime temperatures reached about 28°C (82°F) during the session, other players sought medical help, and there was no official update on the ball girl’s condition.