Florida: On-court injuries are not new in Tennis. There are several instances when Tennis players withdrew themselves amidst a match due to injuries. But 19-year-old Nicola Kuhn falling on the court due to dehydration and exhaustion left everyone shell-shocked here.
The Spanish international was on course to cause a major upset to German veteran Mischa Zverev during a first-round match at Miami Open on Thursday. His aggravating physical conditions forced him to retire in the third set of his first clash.
He was required medical attention immediately and was taken outside for further treatment as his body seized up mid-point causing him to fall to the ground.
Miami Open: Spaniard Nicola Kuhn collapses mid-point of play
The crowd was left stunned as Nicola's face bumped on the ground. ATP physio Alejandro Resnicoff rushed to the court to look after him.
File image: Twitter
In the meantime, Zverev showed the spirit of a true sportsman as he brought water bottles for Nicola. However, the Spaniard couldn't stand and walk himself off the court. Medical assistants came in his help as he was taken to hospital for further care.
Canadian tennis stars Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime took the twitter to express their solidarity with Kuhn.
“Such a brutal sport this is. Hope he is okay,” Shapovalov tweeted.
Auger-Aliassime wrote, “That’s tough to watch. Hope you’re well, my friend.”
To add insult to injury, Kuhn won the first set and was leading the second 5-2 when Zverev hit back to force it to a third set.
Last Updated : Mar 21, 2019, 11:31 AM IST