Madison Keys' US Open quarter-final match halted after spectator needs medical attention
Madison Keys' US Open quarter-final match was halted at the Arthur Ashe Stadium after a spectator in the lower-level seats needed medical attention.
American Madison Keys sealed a 6-1 6-4 win against Marketa Vondrousova in the women's singles quarter-finals of the ongoing US Open 2023, at the Flushing Meadows in New York on Thursday. The match was halted for about eight minutes in the first game, when a spectator needed medical attention in the stands of Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Action was halted when Keys was serving at deuce, followed by the chair umpire announcing that first-aid responders had been called and tournament referee Jake Garner checked on the person, who was seated in the lower-level area.
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Also, Keys even brought two fresh towels and a water bottle to where the spectator was. The spectator was eventually carried out and the action resumed. Meanwhile, the US Tennis Association stated that the person had a prior medical condition and it wasn't heat-related. The fan has been safely discharged. The heat at Flushing Meadows reached 35 degrees Celsius during the match, and Keys also revealed that she spoke to the doctor later and that the fan was doing better.
"Obviously not how you want to start a match, but I feel like in situations like that I can't really do many things other than offer towels and water. I mean, it just felt like the right thing to do," she said later.
After defeating Wimbledon champion Vondrousova, Keys also revealed that Grand Slams make her perform better. "I think I just find another gear when it comes to Slams. Part of it is that I put a little bit more pressure on myself, which is a good thing and also a bad thing sometimes", she said.
"But I've just peaked at the right time, I guess. I haven't had too many disappointing exits at Slams. Sometimes I do it well and sometimes I do it really badly, but I think it's reminding yourself, these are the matches that you grow up dreaming of. These are the moments you want to be in. So that kind of pressure of, it's the big stage, but also just the reminder of this is literally what we've dreamed of. These are the moments that you're practising for and you're playing for and you're constantly trying to get back to," she further added.
Keys will face Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-final, which will also be a rematch. She lost to Sabalenka in the Wimbledon quarter-finals this year.
