The match came to a halt on day five of the ATP Cup in Sydney when a player started having difficulty breathing.
Dramatic scenes unfolded at the ATP Cup in Sydney on Wednesday night when Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili started having difficulty breathing at the start of his match with world number four Stefanos Tsitsipas, forcing the match to be called off.
Tsitsipas was leading four games to one in Group A when play was stopped abruptly at the request of the Georgian side.
A concerned doctor and physiotherapist came to see Basilashvili, who was sitting next to his Georgia teammate.
“It’s very concerning, in my opinion,” Colin Fleming said in comments to Stan Sport.
“If you feel like you can’t breathe deeply at that level and intensity, that’s a problem.”
In the broadcast of the match, Basilashvili can be heard telling his team: “Every blow leaves me breathless.”
Shortly after, he repeatedly told medical staff that he was “struggling to breathe”.
Basilashvili did not interfere with the medical staff who assisted him from the court, but he appeared shaken. When he returned from the locker room, the game was called off and the game was given to Tsitsipas and the Greece team.
The win ended Tsitsipas’ four-game losing streak in a unique situation.
Despite an elbow injury this week, Tsitsipas returned to the court for a doubles match against Georgia soon after.
Earlier Wednesday, Poland stunned Argentina, who hadn’t lost a game before Wednesday, by winning all groups in their match to advance to the semi-finals.
Elsewhere, Spain beat Serbia to equalize Group A status in the semi-finals. World number 19 Roberto Bautista Agut is Spain’s group stage champion, beating Casper Ruud of Norway and Cristian Garin of Chile, both ranked above him, in straight sets.
After losing their doubles match to Russia on Tuesday, Australia were knocked out in the semi-finals, but will face France on Thursday night in their final match of the ATP Cup.
Italy and Russia battle for a place in Group B in the semi-finals at the Ken Rosewall Arena on Thursday morning,
The four teams in Group C are still on course for a place in the semi-finals.
England will qualify if they win their clash against the United States at the Qdous Bank Arena on Thursday and Germany beat Canada.
However, if the British team wins and Canada wins, then Canada will advance to the next round of the tournament.
America also has a chance to reach the semi-finals, but they have to beat Great Britain and hope that Canada beats Germany.
Germany will advance to the final if Canada and USA beat Great Britain.
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