Zeynep Sonmez's Compassion Shines: Ball Girl Rescue at Australian Open

Turkey's Zeynep Sonmez says it is more important to be a "good human being than a good tennis player" after helping carry a fainting ball girl off court during her Australian Open match. As Sonmez's opponent Ekaterina Alexandrova served for the second set, the ball girl - stood beside the umpire's chair - fell flat on her back before quickly getting back up. Sonmez sprinted over and helped walk her over to the side of the court, where the youngster received medical attention in the shade. The ball girl managed to get back to her feet and was helped off court by medical staff, with play resuming after a six-minute delay. "She was really struggling. She said she was fine but it was really obvious she was not fine," Sonmez told BBC Sport. "So I went to grab her and said 'sit down and drink something, you're not fine'. "As we were walking she fainted so luckily I grabbed her. She was really shaking." Tennis Australia confirmed that the girl had received medical attention on site before going home. "I always say it is more important to be a good human being than a good tennis player," added world number 112 Sonmez. "It was just my instinct to help her and I think everyone would do the same. I'm happy I got to help." Russia's Alexandrova went on to win the second set before qualifier Sonmez fought back from 3-0 down in the decider to complete a 7-5 4-6 6-4 upset on her fourth match point. "If I see the ball girl tomorrow or later in the tournament I'd love to speak to her," Somnez added. Temperatures reached highs of 28C on Sunday at Melbourne Park as the first major of the year got under way, while the mercury is forecast to reach 35C by next weekend. The Australian Open updated its extreme heat policy (EHP) in 2019 after conducting research into the effects of heat stress on tennis players. This research led to the development of the heat stress scale (HSS), which is used to decide when the conditions get too challenging, and when players' health could be at risk. The HSS, which reaches 5, registered a reading of 2.8 when the ball girl fainted. Advice at that reading is to increase hydration.