A player collapsed in a coughing fit and retired from Australian Open qualifying on Jan.14 as organizers faced a storm of criticism for plowing ahead with matches despite bushfire smoke plunging Melbourne’s air quality to “hazardous” levels.
Slovenia’s Dalila Jakupovic was leading Stefanie Vogele 6-4 5-6 at Melbourne Park when she slumped to her knees at the back of the blue hardcourt suffering from breathing difficulty.
