Australian Open: Seagull interrupts match point in final set tie-break as Jan-Lennard Struff downs Rinky Hijikata

Jan-Lennard Struff shrugged off the Australian crowd and a rogue seagull as he dispatched home player Rinky Hijikata after a pulsating five-set encounter. Just as Struff primed himself to fire a potentially match-winning serve, the gull flew down and landed on the court. Much to the crowd’s excitement, Struff then lost the point – only for him to quickly cancel the party by taking the next.

There was an unusual moment during the first round of the Australian Open when a seagull landed on the court at the worst possible moment during Jan-Lennard Struff’s clash with Rinky Hijikata.

With Struff serving for the match in a fifth set tie-break, the bird decided it was the time to gatecrash Court 3.

The German now not only had home player Hijikata to contend with, plus the raucous Australian crowd spurring his rival on, but also the uninvited bird as he was gearing up to start the first of two match points.

Barcelona Men's Singles -

Ruud eyes 'biggest title of career' ahead of Tsitsipas final at Barcelona Open

20/04/2024 at 16:39

The gull swooped down and landed inside the tramlines on Struff’s side of the court, just as he was about to pull the trigger on a potential match-winning serve.

Despite the crowd’s entertainment, the bird quickly fled the scene and Struff - understandably eager to get on with his serve - recomposed himself before resuming the nail-biting action.

Hijikata won the point when Struff went long on his return as the crowd roared in delight, but the 24th seed eventually sealed victory on his second match point.

Struff advanced to the second round with a 3-6 6-3 6-2 6-7(2) 7-6(8) victory as he booked his spot against Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic.

And what's more, that wasn't the only gull-related story of the day.

As Felix Auger-Aliassime and Dominic Thiem battled for a spot in the second round, a seagull landed on the court in the fourth set as Thiem mounted a miraculous comeback.

In that match, Auger-Aliassime edged the Austrian after nearly five hours of play.

Bird stops play at Australian Open! Auger-Aliassime v Thiem interrupted by seagull

Video credit: TNT Sports

- - -

Stream top tennis action, including the 2024 Australian Open, live on discovery+, the Eurosport app and at eurosport.com

Australian Open

Djokovic dominance over? Sabalenka to soar? 10 big post-Australian Open questions

29/01/2024 at 12:07

Australian Open

Kyrgios best bits: 'King' Sinner and 'Slim Reaper' Medvedev

28/01/2024 at 16:45