Itailan Open: Rafael Nadal’s Match Abruptly Stopped After a Fan Collapsed Mid-Way in Tense Scenes

Rafael Nadal is back again to test his levels in Rome. After facing a defeat against Jiri Lehecka back in Madrid, the Spaniard is fighting to regain his position once again, this time in Rome’s summer. During his opening match against Zizou Bergs, the audience left no mark to let the world know that they were present to support the ‘King of Clay’. However, the disturbing weather seemed to become a hindrance for the high enthusiasm.

Rafa’s opening match rival seemed to dominate right from the start. While the scoreboard depicted Bergs’ lead with the first set in his name, the match experienced a halt because of an unexpected reason. Among the immense crowd that passionately cheered for the stars, a fan shockingly lost consciousness and therefore fell to the ground. As soon as the incident attracted the attention of the officials, the match experienced a 10-minute long halt, to get the situation in control.

While there’s still no report of the exact reason behind the unexpected happening, the extremely hot weather in Rome could be a possible reason for it. As both the players step back onto the court after a break, it still remains to be seen if the Spaniard will be able to turn the tables or will have to end his dreams for another clay court title.

Although the officials unleashed all their reflexes to help the sick fan, it still seemed like the crowd gained a feeling of anxiety with what happened because of the warm sun.

Spectators find themselves unprotected by the hot weather

Soon after the fan lost consciousness during Rafael Nadal’s match in Rome, the fans gained a feeling of fear. Despite the fact that the patient was provided with sufficient medical support, the well-being of the crowd in the arena seemed to be tampered with the sun shining bright on their heads.

“It’s a hot day and as you can see no shade at all for the spectators,” commentator Jonathan Overend announced on Sky Sports. This not only cleared the air over the reason behind the spectator’s unexpected fainting but also raised questions on the managing authorities about the comfort of the ones who spend enough to watch their favorite tennis stars play.

While it was clearly noted that no roof was available to guard the fans’ comfort, it is highly likely that there could be more such moments where spectators fall ill because of the extreme weather conditions and insufficient facilities.