Deadly snake holds up Dominic Thiem match as he performs Houdini-esque Great Escape at Brisbane International
ATPSaturday, 30 December 2023 at 16:42
Dominic Thiem had to battle two potential deadly opponents during his qualifying match at the Brisbane International as he performed a Great Escape not only from James McCabe, but also a deadly snake.
The former US Open champion was facing McCabe and he saved three match points before prevailing 2-6, 7-6(3), 6-4. He could yet face Rafael Nadal in the opening round, with the Spaniard set to face a qualifier as was confirmed last night.
But he was also helped out by the interruption as a snake was spotted courtside by fans while Thiem was under the gun. Security staff were called in and the umpire had to stop play. A snake catcher eventually had to remove it from the venue and it seemed to capture the potential of a McCabe upset as Thiem came back to win from there.
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“I really love animals, especially exotic ones,” Thiem said. “But they said it was a really poisonous snake and it was close to the ball kids, so it was a really dangerous situation.
“It’s something that has never happened to me and is something I’ll definitely never forget. He [McCabe] was playing very well. He was serving extremely well I thought ... it was a good win in the end.”
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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