07 September 2023 , 08:29
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The US Open quarter-final between Madison Keys and Marketa Vondrousova was delayed on Wednesday night after a fan collapsed in the stands.
A heatwave has battered New York over recent days, with temperatures at Arthur Ashe Stadium reaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius). Keys and Vondrousova had already begun their last eight match, with the American serving in the first set.
But the match had to be stopped for more than eight minutes after a male supporter collapsed in the stands. He received medical treatment before being carried out of the arena amid the boiling hot conditions, with an unknown medical condition.
Keys would go on to win 6-1, 6-4 against her Czech opponent, setting up a semi-final clash with Aryna Sabalenka. The American had generously offered water and towels to the affected person, though she was keen to focus on matters on the court after her win.
"I kind of find another gear when it comes to slams. I think part of it is that I put a little bit more pressure on myself, which is a good thing and also a bad thing sometimes," Keys said.
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“I have just kind of peaked at the right time, I guess. I haven’t had too many disappointing exits at slams. I have had a handful but I feel like when it comes to slams, I’m just able to kind of find another gear, even if I haven’t been playing well."
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Daniil Medvedev struggled during his US Open quarter-final due to the hot and humid conditions (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)The incident in her quarter-final win came as 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev sent a grim warning to tournament chiefs. The world No.3 believes that a player "is gonna die" amid the rising temperatures, which are set to continue into Thursday.
Medvedev battled the heat to defeat Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in their last eight match-up. The Russian took off his shirt and wrapped a towel around his neck as he sat in his chair in an attempt to cool down at the end of the second set, before requiring the use of an inhaler.
During the third set, he complained to the courtside camera: “A player is going to die then you are going to see.” And after the win he doubled down on his warning to organisers, insisting everyone was struggling.
“It was brutal,” said Medvedev. “The only good thing I can see in these conditions is that we both suffer. It was tough for both of us. Honestly, at the end of the first set, I couldn’t see the ball anymore.
"I was playing with sensations, tried to go for it and run and catch the balls. We were tired all the time. It was super tough to win. A few moments in the third set he was up a break. I couldn't wait to go to the cold shower.
"But the thing about that is when you come out either you can't move because your body blocks or you feel better. I know he never gives up. The thing is he knows I never [give up] too."