NEW DELHI: During reigning champion Jannik Sinner's fourth-round match against Holger Rune on Monday, the screw that holds the net in place at the main stadium of the Australian Open came loose, causing play to be delayed for almost 20 minutes early in the fourth set.
The No. 1-ranked Sinner, who is the defending champion at Melbourne Park, shook the net with one of his thunderous serves. The metal component that rotates to screw into the blue-painted surface after hooking into the bottom of the black webbing separating players on a tennis court was unintentionally undone by that.
Play was stopped because the net was left open. A minimum of six individuals approached to inspect the situation and try to reconnect the apparatus. Thousands of people at Rod Laver Arena cheered when a worker with a red toolbox finally managed to fix it.
To avoid having to sit on the sidelines in the afternoon heat, which reached 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius), chair umpire Nico Helwerth sent Sinner and Rune to the locker room.
"Ladies and gentlemen, as you can see, we are trying to fix the net as quick as possible," Helwerth announced to the crowd. "It's probably going to take a few minutes. Thank you for your patience."
During the game, every player had previously had a medical timeout. When play was stopped, Sinner had a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 0-1 advantage.
Fans cheered as Sinner and the 13th-seeded Rune, a 21-year-old Dane, walked back out on the court to resume the match.
After allowing the players to warm up for three minutes, Sinner served to restart the match.
