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A tennis fan was hit by a falling advertisement board during the Halle Open on Wednesday, June 18
Officials with the German tennis tournament said the fan did not appear to suffer any major injuries, but she was taken to a local hospital for “safety reasons”
German player Alexander Zverev rushed over to the woman to give her ice after the incident occurred, according to The Associated Press
A 62-year-old tennis fan was taken to the hospital after an advertising banner fell on her from an upper stand during the Halle Open in Germany on Wednesday, June 18.
The incident took place in the middle of Alexander Zverev’s match against Marcos Giron when a portion of an advertisement sign came loose and fell onto the lower bowl of the stadium’s stands, striking the fan. Zverev and a match umpire raced over to the woman and gave her ice, which she held on her neck, according to the The Associated Press.
The tournament said in a news release that the woman “did not suffer any major injuries and was able to leave the stadium on her own” but was later taken to a local hospital “for safety reasons.”
Its director, Ralf Weber, also checked in on the spectator at a medical center and promised her a season ticket to next year’s event as a “small gesture of compensation.”
Malte Ossowski/DDP/Zuma
Alexander Zverev during the match
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“There has never been anything like this in our 32-year tournament history,” Weber said in a statement, according to an English translation of the German news release. “We deeply regret the incident.”
Tournament officials said they believe the advertisement board may have come loose from fans “drumming” against it during the match, per the release.
Officials checked nearby advertisements to make sure their screws were secured tightly before the match continued.
“This must not happen and we apologize,” tournament officials added.
Zverev won the match in straight sets after play continued, advancing to the Round of 16 in his home country’s annual grass tournament.
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