- At a match at the Halle Open in Germany, an advertisement panel fell from an upper deck and struck a fan, forcing the woman to visit the hospital.
While home favorite Alexander Zverev was playing at the Halle Open in Germany, a spectator was taken to the hospital after a stadium advertising panel collapsed and fell on her.
A loud blast was heard during one of the 28-year-old’s services games against American Marcos Giron, which caused the crowd to erupt in a loud yell. A lower-tier spectator had been hit by an advertisement panel that had fallen from the upper tier.
After a 62-year-old woman was struck, Zverev and umpire Renaud Lichtenstein entered the stands to provide an ice pack; however, the woman eventually had to be taken to the hospital. There were no serious injuries to her.
Ralf Weber, the tournament director, stated: “In our 32-year event history, nothing like this has ever occurred. We sincerely apologize for the issue. After the incident, he paid the fan a visit in the hospital and gave her a free season ticket to the event the next year.
Dr. Udo Kleine and Uwe Greipel-Dominik, event managers, proposed a theory regarding the possible cause of the regrettable incident. According to a joint statement: “We believe the screws came loose as a result of the drumming against the cushions. We are sorry; this shouldn’t have happened. Immediately following the Zverev match, we will also inspect the other cushions and their fastenings. Our first concern is the safety of our spectators.
With his Wimbledon training going well, Zverev, the world No. 3 seed, defeated his American opponent 6-2 6-1 in a commanding manner when the match resumed after a safety check. In the round of 16, he will face Lorenzo Sonego of Italy.
After several close misses, the German is still vying for his first Grand Slam championship. The Australian Open this year was the most recent final in which he has now lost. He suffered a defeat in the French Open quarterfinals earlier this month.
His least successful tournament until date has been Wimbledon. He led by two sets last year, but Taylor Fritz defeated him in the fourth round. Zverev lost to opponent Fritz again after making it to the final of the ATP 250 tournament in Stuttgart last week.
A prickly Zverev remarked during his address as runner-up on the court: “Last but not least, Taylor, I’m f***ing tired of you.” Over the next two to three years, I don’t want to see you again.
“You are one of the best players in the world on this surface and you were much better than me today, so congrats to the whole team and I’m sure you are going to do incredible on the next two tournaments on grass, so well done.”
