Indian Wells match brought to a halt as alarm | Sports News

Jack Draper’s Indian Wells match against Brazilian tennis prodigy Joao Fonseca on Saturday took an unexpected turn during the first set.

At 4-4 and 30-15, with Fonseca serving, the court was suddenly filled with the blare of a loud alarm, causing confusion among the players and spectators alike. While Fonseca gestured in disbelief, the umpire hurried to report the unusual disturbance.

The incident left commentators perplexed, debating if it was a mere mishap or indicative of a serious situation. Draper faced a formidable challenge from the get-go at Indian Wells as the 13th seed. After enjoying a second-round bye, he squared off with Fonseca, the young sensation fresh from clinching his inaugural tour title in Buenos Aires.

With a crowd dominated by Brazilian supporters filling Court 4, the British number one secured an early break, only for Fonseca to level the score promptly; the contest was evenly matched as it progressed.

The dramatic episode unfolded when Fonseca stepped up to serve during the critical juncture of 4-4 30-15: an alarm echoed throughout the venue, halting the action abruptly.

“Okay… That is not your television, it’s also not the audio feed from Indian Wells, it is something actually on the grounds,” Sky Sports commentator Jonathan Overend said.

Naomi Broady replied: “Incredibly loud by the looks of it, everyone sitting with their fingers in their ears.”

Overend seemed concerned about where the noise was coming from, adding: “Hopefully it’s a malfunction of something to do with the audio system rather than an emergency alert.”

While chair umpire Tom Sweeney checked what was happening through his walkie-talkie, the alarm stopped. He then said as the crowd cheered: “We have a very, very loud alarm. It’s just stopped.”

After Fonseca lost the first point after the interruption, Overend asked: “Thank goodness. I don’t think anyone else could’ve listened to that for much longer. Could that slight interruption work in Jack Draper’s favor?”

Fonseca didn’t win another game afterwards, with Draper securing an emphatic 6-4, 6-0 victory. Draper was asked about his Brazilian opponent after his win while speaking to Sky Sports. He said: “I think it’s amazing for the tour and amazing for tennis that we’ve got a really, really young superstar coming, especially from Brazil with such a big fanbase.

“It seems like every tournament’s he’s going to, there’s so many fans in the stadium here today. To be a part of that and to play against him, see what he’s all about is really special for myself.”

Draper added: “I saw it, he’s such an amazing talent, hits the ball so hard and he’s only going to improve. It’s just more experience at this level and he’s going to be a top, top player very soon.”