Zeynep Sönmez rushes to aid ballkid during Australian Open upset win
AP News • • general
Key Points:
- During her first-round match at the Australian Open, Turkish qualifier Zeynep Sönmez paused play to assist a ballkid who appeared to suffer a heat-related incident near the umpire’s chair.
- Sönmez helped the ballkid to shade and a chair while medical staff provided treatment, causing a seven-minute delay before the match resumed.
- Despite the interruption, Sönmez rallied to win the match 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 against No. 11 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, advancing to the second round for the first time in Australia.
- The ballkid recovered quickly and did not return to participate in the remainder of the match.
- Sönmez
