Zeynep Sönmez Rushes to Aid Ballkid During Australian Open Upset Win
Turkish player Zeynep Sonmez gained fan support for aiding a ball girl mid-match before defeating Anna Bondar 6-2, 6-4 to reach the Australian Open third round.
- On Jan 20, Turkish 23-year-old Zeynep Sonmez emerged as a crowd favourite after helping a ball girl on day one and beat Hungarian Anna Bondar 6-2 6-4 to reach the third round at Melbourne Park.
- Warm conditions at Melbourne Park produced heat-related cramps for players, while organisers halted ground-pass sales within an hour, disappointing fans who queued under a hot sun.
- At 1130 GMT, Sonmez's match was listed in the day's order of play and appeared among Reuters' main showcourt highlights.
- Media attention around the tournament paired Sonmez's victory with other headline results, framing her progress as a 'dream Melbourne run' that soaked up strong crowd support.
- The Australian Open opened on Jan 18 and the event's early days featured top names in action, including Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka, while order-of-play listings showed Sonmez competing amid a packed schedule.
574 Articles
574 Articles
Australian Open: Sinner overcomes cramps; Keys, Pegula advance; Osaka withdraws
By JOHN PYE and DENNIS PASSA AP Sports Writers MELBOURNE, Australia — Limping and desperately trying to stretch out cramps in his arms and legs, Jannik Sinner had just gone down a break in the third set when the extreme heat rules saved him. Play was suspended for eight minutes while the roof was closed on Rod Laver Arena on Saturday afternoon (Friday night PT), and the two-time defending Australian Open champion returned a revitalized man. Afte…
Jannik Sinner battles through sweltering conditions to reach fourth round
The second seed benefited from the roof shutting on Rod Laver Arena as play on outside courts was suspended.
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