The disturbance caused by a crying child in the stands proved too much to handle for Emma Raducanu during her Cincinnati Open defeat by Aryna Sabalenka on Monday when the Briton appealed to a bemused chair umpire for action.
Raducanu was preparing to serve at 3-4 in the tense third set of her 7-6(3) 4-6 7-6(5) defeat when she stopped and looked at the official to say that the child had been wailing for 10 minutes straight.
“It’s a child, do you want me to send the child out of the stadium?” the chair umpire asked almost in disbelief, prompting Raducanu to merely shrug.
Raducanu then smiled and pointed to the stands as several members of the crowd said “yes” on her behalf having heard the chair umpire’s question.
The official said she could ask staff to have the baby removed, but added: “We need to continue for the moment,” before the action resumed.
Raducanu went on to win the game and draw level at 4-4 but eventually fell to world number one Sabalenka, who will take on Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the last 16.
