Venus Williams’ first-round Miami Open defeat to Diana Shnaider was interrupted by a courtroom-invading cat on Tuesday as the 7-time grand slam winner was crushed 6-3 6-3 in an hour and 19 minutes.
The cat produced its way onto the courtroom as Williams was getting prepared to provide during the second established, drawing stunned laughs from the group.
“There is a cat crossing the court,” the umpire announced to much more laughter.
It is the next animal invasion of a tennis tournament in the place of a 7 days adhering to the swarm of bees that interrupted Carlos Alcaraz and Alex Zverev’s Indian Wells quarterfinal previous Thursday.
It is also the 2nd time a feline invader has stolen the show on a tennis court this period after a ginger cat had Emma Raducanu in stitches as it ran throughout the court in advance of her Abu Dhabi Open match against Ons Jabeur.
Williams, who at 43 several years outdated was the oldest participant in the draw, was making a document-breaking 22nd overall look at the Miami Open but was crushed by a teenage opponent generating her event debut.
Shnaider, 19, won her initial WTA Tour title at the Thailand Open up at the starting of February and achieved a different last at the Fifth 3rd Charleston final 7 days.
Williams struggled to locate regularity all through the contest but did clearly show flashes of her previous variety early in the 1st and next sets.
Nonetheless, the three-time Miami Open up winner has been beset by injuries of late and has played just two matches this 12 months soon after returning from 7 months out.
Williams managed to perform just four matches in 2022 and 10 in 2023 and, as a end result, has fallen to globe No. 457.
This match was Williams’ 85th in the major attract of the Miami Open, drawing level with her sister Serena’s tournament history, according to the WTA.
Shnaider will now deal with 17th seed Madison Keys in the second spherical.
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