It's not often that animals invade tennis matches and halt proceedings, but when they do, they end up being the talking point rather than the actual match.
On Saturday, a first-round qualifying match between Dominic Thiem and James McCabe at the Brisbane International was brought to a standstill after a venomous snake slithered onto the court, much to the angst and uneasiness that engulfed those within close proximity to it.
Admittedly, Thiem is usually so enthusiastic about distinct animals, but on learning that the serpent was an eastern brown snake - considered one of the most dangerous reptiles in Australia - and measured about 20 inches in length, he was extremely unsettled.
The match was put on hold for at least 40 minutes so that a professional snake catcher could snare it and take it far away from the perimeters of Queensland Tennis Centre.
"I really love animals, especially exotic ones. But they said it was a really poisonous snake and it was close to the ball kids, so it was a really dangerous situation. It's something that has never happened to me and is something I'll definitely never forget."
Although the happenings in the middle of the match grabbed all the headlines in world newspapers, Thiem produced a miraculous comeback to kick off his season in style. The Austrian recovered from 2-6, 3-5, 0-40 to win 2-6, 7-6, 6-4 in almost three hours of drama and tension.
After those match point saves, Thiem felt he had a second life in this tournament. On Sunday, he needed another three-set comeback against Giulio Zeppieri of Italy in the final round of qualifying to book his spot in the main draw.
Thiem's reward for fighting for his berth in the main draw is a blockbuster meeting against 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal on Tuesday. The Spaniard will play his first singles match in his comeback tournament against a former rival.
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