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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Slovenia's Jakupovic says she couldn't breathe before quitting Australian Open qualifying

Duration: 01:57s 0 shares 6 views

Slovenia's Jakupovic says she couldn't breathe before quitting Australian Open qualifying
Slovenia's Jakupovic says she couldn't breathe before quitting Australian Open qualifying

"It was really scary, I couldn't breathe", says tennis player Dalila Jakupovic after pulling out of her Australian Open qualifier as smoke from bushfires blanket Melbourne.

SHOWS: MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (JANUARY 15, 2020) (NINE NETWORK - Broadcasters: NO USE AUSTRALIA / NEW ZEALAND / PAPUA NEW GUINEA Digital: NO USE AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, PAPUA NEW GUINEA-BASED INTERNET SITES, MOBILE PLATFORMS OR SITES OF MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS BASED IN THOSE COUNTRIES, NVO CLIENTS/ SMH.COM.AU/NEWS.COM.AU) 1.

VARIOUS OF ORANGE SUN OVER STADIUM 2.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) SLOVENIAN TENNIS PLAYER, DALILA JAKUPOVIC, SAYING: "Yeah, I have no asthma or breathing problems. I never experience something like this, like I had yesterday.

I mean, it was really scary, I couldn't breathe, I didn't know what to do, I had a feeling like I am going to collapse on the court and I was really scared I have to say.

The whole match was tough for me to breathe to get some fresh air, to get some air at all so, was tough conditions." 3.

WHITE FLASH 4.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) SLOVENIAN TENNIS PLAYER, DALILA JAKUPOVIC, SAYING: "For me, I mean, in that moment, I was just thinking about my health because I know that I had no chance to recover that fast to like, continue to play.

So, I was not thinking at that moment about the match, after that I was really sad because I was really close to the win.

But in that moment I was just worrying how I'm going to feel." 5.

WHITE FLASH 6.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) SLOVENIAN TENNIS PLAYER, DALILA JAKUPOVIC, SAYING: "I understand like, no one from us had this kind of conditions before.

We are used to pollution like, we play in China, we play in more polluted countries but, I mean, this smoke is something different and for sure we are not used to it.

And, I think, I mean citizens and everyone was advised to stay inside and I, we didn't expect that we will be playing yesterday." 7.

WHITE FLASH 8.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) SLOVENIAN TENNIS PLAYER, DALILA JAKUPOVIC, SAYING: "Unfortunately, I can't decide right now because I also have a partner who plays only double so I'm also going to have to look (out) for her not just me at this moment." 9.

VARIOUS OF MELBOURNE HAZY SKYLINE STORY: Slovenian tennis player Dalila Jakupovic said she couldn't breathe when recalling collapsing in a coughing fit and having to retire from Australian Open qualifying on Tuesday (January 14).

"It was really scary, I couldn't breathe, I didn't know what to do," Jakupovic, 28, said on Wednesday (January 15).

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 breathing difficulties.

The Australian Open qualifying was disrupted for a second successive day due to poor air quality on Wednesday as smoke from bushfires continued to blanket Melbourne in an acrid haze.

Organisers of the year's first Grand Slam said practice had been suspended at Melbourne Park until 11 a.m.

(0000 GMT) and qualifiers would not get underway until 1 p.m.

Qualifying was delayed for more than an hour on Tuesday but organisers were criticised for allowing it to resume.

"No one from us had this kind of conditions before...and we didn't expect that we will be playing yesterday," Jakupovic added.

Australia is experiencing one of its worst bushfire seasons on record, with fires burning for months and claiming the lives of 28 people, destroying more than 2,500 homes and razing forests and farmland the size of Bulgaria.

(Production: Juarawee Kittisilpa)

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