HOME favourite Priscilla Hon helped opponent Marina Stakusic into a wheelchair at the end of their Australian Open first round clash.
Hon, 27, had led 1-6 6-3 5-3 when Stakusic was forced to retire from the match with what appeared to be severe leg cramps.
Aussie Hon headed to her hurt opponent’s side of the court to see if she could be of assistance.
And the world No121, who had been due to serve for the match, held Stakusic’s leg up as the 21-year-old Canadian was wheeled off court.
Speaking after the match, Hon said: “Yeah, I mean, obviously, I didn’t want to win like that.
“I do feel very relieved that I’m through to the second round.
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“I mean, I really hope she does feel better. That was quite a scene out there. I had quite a few people come up to me and be, like, ‘Wow, that was so dramatic.’ Yeah, I’m just happy to get through to the second round.”
Hon, who reached the second round of the Australian Open for just the second time, will face Iva Jovic next.
The Brisbane-born star added: “You’re trying to put the ball in but then she’s obviously going to go for more because she can’t run. So you are, like, you can’t be hitting it too soft.
“It is really hard when it is a situation like that, but I was just, like, just put balls in the court.
“Then I started drop-shotting a little bit to, I guess, kind of test if she is moving or not. Yeah, but the thing is if I hit a bad drop shot, she can probably run up and smash that away.
“So it messes with your head a little bit, but yeah, she struggled towards the end.”
Stakusic had been playing in the Australian Open main draw for the first time after beating Nuria Parrizas-Diaz, Teodora Kostovic and Zhu Lin in qualifying.
She was one of three stars to retire on day two of this year’s Australian Open, along with Felix Auger-Aliassime and British hopeful Fran Jones.
As an Aussie player, Hon was able to handle the stifling Melbourne heat.
She added: “I’m Australian, so I should be quite used to it.
“Yeah, it was definitely warm out there, and I think, as well with the nerves, the stress levels, it just all impacts it.
“Obviously, everyone is really stressed with playing in a Grand Slam, so it doesn’t help in that way.”
Hon is among the most popular players in the locker room.
The affable Aussie is close friends with former Grand Slam finalists Amanda Anisimova and Karolina Muchova, and has cheered both on from their respective player boses in the past.
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