Alexander Zverev paused his match at the Halle Open on Wednesday because part of an advertising board fell on a fan in the crowd, via the tournament's website.
One 62-year-old female spectator was hit by the board, which fell from the upper deck. After the sign fell, Zverev and chair umpire Renaud Lichtenstein went into the stands and provided ice for the spectator who was struck.
Her injuries didn't appear to be severe, although she was taken to a local hospital for precautionary measures. She was able to leave the tournament on her own with an ice pack Zverev gave her. She was later gifted a free pass to next year's tournament.
"There has never been anything like this in our 32-year tournament history. We deeply regret the incident," tournament director Ralf Weber said in a press release.
The advertising boards were checked before the match resumed.
Zverev was still able to pull of a 6–2, 6–1 win over American Marcos Giron in the first round.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Alexander Zverev Pauses Match to Help Fan Who Was Hit by Advertising Board in Stands.