Venomous Snake interrupts Dominic Thiem match at Brisbane International tournament

The Brisbane International qualifying match between Dominic Thiem and Australian James McCabe was suspended for 40 minutes on Saturday owing to a snake on the court. McCabe had just won the first set 6-2 against the 2020 US Open winner when the snake was discovered between the electrical lines across the court.

3 things you need to know

• A large snake entered the court during the Brisbane Open qualifying match
• Snake's entry caused the play to stop for 40 minutes
• The match was taking place between Dominic Thiem and James McCabe

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Snake causes the play to stop

This sighting prompted officials to temporarily halt play and summon security personnel for assistance. An expert was sent in to capture the 50-cm (20-inch) reptile, which was apparently recognized as an eastern brown snake—a highly venomous species—by local media. This unexpected disruption caused a 40-minute delay in play.

"I really love animals, especially exotic ones. But they said it was a really poisonous snake and it was close to the ballkids, so it was a really dangerous situation," Thiem said. "It's something that has never happened to me and is something I'll definitely never forget," Thiem told reporters after the match.

Thiem, who is presently ranked 98th in the world, rallied in the second set to win a hard-fought 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-4 victory. This victory qualified him for the main draw of the pre-Australian Open competition.

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Rafael Nadal set to return

The Australian Open 2024, the year's first Grand Slam, begins on January 14th in Melbourne. Rafael Nadal, the former world number one, will make his much-anticipated return on Sunday at the Brisbane tournament. He'll compete alongside Marc Lopez, his Olympic gold medalist partner from 2016.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion has been drawn in a singles qualifier, kicking off what could be his final tour. This return followed his recuperation from a hip ailment that necessitated surgery in June. Naomi Osaka, Japan's four-time major winner, is also making her return after maternity leave in the women's draw. In her first match back on the court, she will play Tamara Korpatsch.