DALILA JAKUPOVIC collapsed on court at the Australian Open during a coughing fit caused by the poor air from the country’s ongoing bushfires.
She retired at 6-4 5-6 against Switzerlands Stefanie Voegel before the Slovenian was helped off the court in Melbourne with breathing difficulties.
Despite being close to victory the 28-year-old had to abandon the game due to being unable to take any more.
Jakupovic later said she was sad and angry after recovering, and she admitted to feeling scared as she struggled to breathe.
She said: It was really bad. I never experienced something like this and I was really scared. I was scared that I would collapse.
That’s why I went on the floor. Because I couldn’t walk any more. I’ve never had asthma before.
I think it was not fair because it’s not healthy for us. I was surprised. I thought we would not be playing today.
We don’t have much choice. If we don’t go on the court, maybe we get fined. It would maybe have been better to wait to see if tomorrow is better. They still have time, there is no rush.
Tennis Australia insist its on-site experts had declared the playing environment at Melbourne Park safe enough.
But Canadas Eugenie Bouchard also left the court during a match against ChinasYou Xiaodi after complaining of a sore chest.
She returned to play the final set following the medical timeout and went on to win 4-6 7-6 6-1.
Organisers temporarily suspended practice sessions for the tournament early on Tuesday due to haze caused by the fires.
A statement from Australian Open organisers said: Further decisions will be made based on onsite data, and in close consultation with our medical team, the Bureau of Meteorology and scientists from EPA Victoria.
As always the health and safety of our players, our staff and our fans is our priority.
British No.6 Liam Broady, who lost 6-3 6-0 to Belarus Ilya Ivashka, was another who struggled in the conditions.
He said: I would like to think I am properly fit at the moment and after four games I was absolutely gassed.
At 6-3, 3-0 down, when you are supposed to be relatively fresh, I was bent double and gasping for air. My fitness is one of the best parts of my game but I definitely didnt feel great.
This morning it was obviously pretty bad. I warmed up and then I was most surprised by how bad it still was when I was walking out to the court.
I had been inside from 10 o’clock for three hours and, because they had decided to go ahead, I thought it would have cleared up a lot. You can hardly see the city buildings over there. It is pretty bad.
The wildfires have been raging for months in both Victoria and the neighbouring state of New South Wales, leading to Victorias Environment Protection Authority warning air quality in the state would range from moderate to hazardous.
Craig Tiley, the tournaments director, said a week ago he was hopeful the tournament would go aheadbut vowed to closely monitor the air quality.
He said: We have committed substantial extra resources to analysis, monitoring and logistics to ensure the health and safety of all players, staff and fans throughout the summer and have no other plans to move events (following the cancellation of an event in Australias capital Canberra).
Assessing the likelihood of smoke-induced interruptions is a bit like how we treat heat and rain.
We have experts who analyse all available live data as specific to our sites as possible and consult regularly with tournament officials and, in the case of heat and smoke, medical experts.
We have access to real-time monitoring of air quality at all of our venues and are working closely with medical personnel and local experts onsite to ensure we have the best possible information available to make any decisions regarding whether play should be halted at any point.
The health of players, fans and staff is a priority at all times and we will continue to make these decisions with that in mind.
Maria Sharapova and German Laura Siegmund also abandoned their matches in the second set while competing at nearby exhibition tournament in Kooyong due to conditions.
