There were worrying scenes on day one of the US Open when Canadian qualifier Liam Draxl needed to have his vitals checked during his opening match against Damir Dzumhur. The 24-year-old lost a rollercoaster set 7-5 after both men missed multiple break point opportunities, and then called the trainer to court.
It was a warm day in Melbourne, with temperatures reaching 28 degrees Celsius, and Draxl had a medical time out and the physio checked his blood pressure and then gave him some tablets.
The world No. 145 played on but continued to struggle and was broken in the opening game of the second set as the fans inside Court 8 tried to cheer him on. Draxl then blew a 40-15 to get broken again.
The qualifier won just two more points in the second set as Dzumhur kept on rolling and took it 6-0 in just 21 minutes. The physio was called to the court again and had a chat with Draxl, calling the doctor to return.
“It’s getting worse?” she asked, also discussing cramping with the 24-year-old. The physio and doctor left at the end of the changeover with no medical timeout and no treatment given. Again, Draxl decided to play on.
The Canadian wasn’t the only player who physically struggled on day one of the Australian Open. No. 20 seed Flavio Cobolli was dealing with a stomach issue during his clash with British qualifier Arthur Fery, also taking tablets mid-match.
Cobolli called the trainer multiple times and left the court for bathroom breaks, but it was of no use, and he suffered a 7-6(1) 6-4 6-1 defeat. He later told Italian media that the stomach issue only surfaced half an hour before the match.
“Everything was under control until half an hour before the match, I even warmed up well. As soon as I stepped onto the court, I started feeling severe pain and had to go to the bathroom, but the rules don’t allow it,” he said.
“I tried to resist, I took a lot of pills to try to stop the flow, but they didn’t work right away. When I finally went to the bathroom, I felt a little better at first, but then the pills took effect, I lost a lot of fluids, and my energy plummeted.”
