Ivanovic's coach collapses during Aussie Open match
Ana Ivanovic's coach, Nigel Sears, was reportedly conscious and upright at a local hospital after collapsing during the Serbian's third-round loss to Madison Keys at the Australian Open on Saturday.
Sears, 58, was carted off early in the second set at Rod Laver Arena after falling near the coach's box, suspending play for nearly an hour. Sears is the father-in-law of second-seeded men's competitor Andy Murray, who was playing on neighboring Margaret Court during the incident.
Murray's brother, Jamie Murray, told Press Association that Sears was undergoing tests, but was "conscious, talking, and sitting up."
Andy Murray was told of the incident after his third-round win over Joao Sousa and went directly to hospital to visit Sears, according to the Daily Mail.
Murray, Ivanovic, and Keys all declined to give postmatch press conferences following the incident.
Keys, seeded 15th, advanced with a comeback 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory. The momentum swung following the stoppage, as Keys overcame a first-set failure by winning the next two. Despite 52 unforced errors, Keys overcame a 3-0 deficit in the final set against the 2008 French Open winner to advance to the fourth round for the second year on the bounce.
Keys, looking to build on last year's semifinal loss to Serena Williams, will now face unseeded qualifier Zhang Shuai, who dominated American Varvara Lepchenko 6-1, 6-3.
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