Safety infrastructure is paramount in tennis stadiums, regardless of the tournament, as these measures would promptly prevent the rise of any hazardous situations.
The safety and well-being of spectators and players take precedence over everything else on a tennis court. As such, tennis stadiums are equipped with fire alarm systems to detect smoke or potential fires.
One such incident happened on Friday during the Négométal Open de Bourg-de-Péage – an exhibition tournament in France featuring two former Top 10 players currently on a decline phase.
The two players in question are David Goffin and Lucas Pouille, who were locked in a tight battle. Former World No. 10 Pouille had taken the first set 6-3 but trailed 2-5 in the second set and was serving to stay in the set.
But before the Pouille could get the eighth game underway, an announcement was made by the court announcer, which was imminently followed by a fire alarm, presumably instructing the crowd of a potential fire and facilitating evacuation procedures.
As seen in the video below, several distraught fans promptly answered that call. They left their seats and were running for the closest emergency exit.
The ball kids and line umpires could be seen loitering around the court aimlessly while Goffin crossed over to Pouille’s side for a quick chat, seemingly not bothered by the alarm system.
It turns out it was only a false alarm. The players remained on the court, and after a brief consultation with the chair umpire, the match would resume after about five minutes. Goffin would win the second set 6-2 to level the match.
The Belgian maintained his level in the decider and ran away with the match, winning the set 6-3. This was Goffin’s first match since mid-November when he lost to Brandon Nakashima in the quarterfinal of the Danderyd Challenger.
Goffin will be hoping for an improvement next season after a mixed year. He is currently ranked outside the world’s Top 100 and must play the qualifying round at the 2024 Australian Open.
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