A match was paused on day one of the Australian Open when a ball kid collapsed at the side of the court. No. 11 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova was mounting a comeback against Zeynep Sonmez when the incident happened, and play was suspended while help was called.

Sonmez was on course to cause an upset when she led Alexandrova by a set and a break, but the 11th seed clicked into gear and broke twice, giving herself the chance to serve for the set. Trouble struck as the Russian led 5-3, with a ball kid going down at the side of the 1573 Arena.

Both players rushed over, with court attendants also coming over to help. The umpire called for medical assistance and informed the fans inside the arena that play would be delayed.

"The umpire is making an official announcement that the match will sort of be paused while help is on the way," commentator Catherine Whitaker said.

"The most important thing is the welfare of the ball kid, but in terms of the match, this is tough on Alexandrova, who is serving."

Alexandrova was under pressure - it was deuce on her serve when the delay came. Medics eventually arrived at the court, and the ball kid got back up and was helped off as the fans applauded.

The break seemed to wreck Alexandrova's momentum, and she was broken when play resumed. The Turkish fans inside the 1573 Arena were elated, chanting and cheering for Sonmez. But the qualifier was broken in the next game, and Alexandrova took the set 6-4 to force a decider.

The Russian kept rolling and took an early lead in the third and final set, breaking immediately.

It was a warm day in Melbourne, with temperatures reaching 28 degrees Celsius, and the ball kid wasn't the only one who struggled in the conditions. Canadian qualifier Liam Draxl called the doctor multiple times during his first-round match against Damir Dzumhur in the men's singles draw and had his vitals checked.