Carlos Alcaraz and Fabio Fognini faced off in an epic first-round clash, which was interrupted in the fifth set after one of the spectators in the stands fainted.
The Spaniard was leading 3-0 in the deciding set when, after changing ends, he drew the referee's attention to an incident in the stands.
Alcaraz had noticed that an elderly fan had fallen to the ground and was being treated by doctors on Center Court.
The referee announced the suspension of the match, while defending champion Alcaraz brought the sick spectator a bottle of cold water from the bucket behind his seat.
Other members of the crowd tried to help the lady - who was sitting in the sun on the hottest day of Wimbledon's opening, with temperatures reaching 31.4 degrees Celsius at 14pm - by cooling her off with towels and providing shade with umbrellas.
After a 17-minute interruption, the spectator was escorted off Center Court, but fortunately she was seated and conscious.
When the match resumed, Alcaraz immediately broke Fognini's serve for the second time in the set to go up 4-0. He then won the deciding set, winning 7-5, 6-7, 7-5, 2-6, 6-1.
Bystanders protected the lady as she was immediately taken to Centre Court with care, before being taken away on a stretcher for further treatment a few minutes later.
“Alcaraz was very concerned and stayed talking to her and her family the whole time,” said one spectator.
The lady is Delyth Lewis, a single 79-year-old from West Wales, who was there specifically to see Alcaraz.
Her granddaughter Sharon said: "We think he got too hot, we drank a lot of water, we were just about to get up because she said she needed a break from the sun, but she was so sad to see his wins. Suddenly she bent over and passed out. He came right over, stood up and kept talking to her. He was so nice. She's a big fan of his. The first thing she asked when she woke up was if he had won. And she was so happy that he had won, but she was sad that she didn't get to see him. She was happy when she realised he had come to help her, but she felt a little embarrassed that she had passed out. She was so happy.
"She's his number one fan. Every year she enters the lottery for tickets."
High temperatures at the Grand Slam have caused concern, with Ons Jabeur being the first to take sick leave on the first day of the championship.
Doctors on the court checked the former Wimbledon finalist's vital signs and blood pressure, while Elena-Gabriela Ruse was also having difficulty in her match against Madison Keys.
Jabeur then retreated in tears on the hottest opening day in the history of this tournament.
Daniil Medvedev – eliminated by the unseeded and unranked Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi – didn't just blame the heat for his second-round exit at Wimbledon for the first time in his career, but admitted the four-set match was tough.
“Physically it wasn’t easy,” Medvedev said after the match. “At the end of the third set I was still there. The fourth set wasn’t easy. To win against him today, I had to hit three really good shots in the corner. I know that feeling. When you’re in shape, anything goes on the court. The fourth set was definitely the hardest. And the heat? I would never say he won because of the heat. But it’s not easy to play in these conditions. I think he wasn’t enjoying the heat too much either."./GazetaExpress/
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