- Eastern brown snake appears on court, forcing suspension of play
- Former world No 3 was playing James McCabe in qualifier
Former US Open champion Dominic Thiem had to battle two Aussie opponents in the first round of qualifying for the Brisbane International, with a deadly snake forcing the suspension of play.
The former world No 3 was taking on Australian youngster James McCabe on Saturday, with the Austrian veteran losing the first set 2-6. But 30-year-old Thiem’s hopes for a second-set fightback were put on hold when courtside fans spotted a snake.