The first-round U.S. Open clash between Cameron Norrie and Benoit Paire was briefly stopped on Tuesday after a fan fell ill in the stands.
British contender Norrie faced Frenchman Paire in temperatures of around 30 degrees. Other players have commented on the heat at Flushing Meadows, which led to panic amid reports one spectator had fainted in the stands.
"Play stopped in Paire vs Norrie, because someone has been taken ill in the grandstand," tweeted journalist James Gray. "(I was up there earlier, it is HOT.) Paire goes and has a chat to his coach, and then gets into an argument with the umpire about it, because that goes beyond the coaching guidelines. Chaos."
Chaos was the overwhelming sensation among fans, too, when it became apparent a member of the audience was not well. Spectators started to disperse as word rippled through those in attendance, with umpire Carlos Bernardes reaching for his radio to help remedy the situation.
"Oh dear, someone in the crowd has been taken ill and needs some treatment," said BBC Sport's Jonathan Jurejko. "Anxious looks all round.
"Not surprising in this stifling heat. Let's hope they recover quickly. A lot of concern for the person who is lying down on the stand behind umpire Carlos Bernardes' chair."
Norrie, 27, led by a set when the incident unfurled, having 'bageled' Paire 6-0 in the opening salvo to make the perfect start to his U.S. Open. Paire, 33, pulled closer to parity in the second leg, however, and looked like far better value for money at the point the spectator in question fell ill.
Taking his opportunity for a moment's respite, Paire immediately slumped against the railings in a shaded corner of the court while he addressed his coach. Bernardes scolded the veteran as he claimed the coaching went beyond the new rules currently being trialled.
Tuesday's clash was just the second time that Norrie and Paire have met, with the former emerging as a straight-sets victor when they last faced off in Auckland. Norrie reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon in July when he lost to eventual champion Novak Djokovic.
The South Africa-born, New Zealand-raised talent is out to open his major title collection at Flushing Meadows. In five previous appearances at the U.S. Open, Norrie's best finish to date was a third-round run in 2020 when he exited at the hands of Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Paire, meanwhile, made it as far as the fourth round in 2015 before he fell at the hands of compatriot Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Norrie's adopted home, Great Britain, has experienced unprecedented temperatures so far this summer, and it appears the conditions in New York are proving a test for players and fans alike.
