Alexander Zverev’s match against Marcos Giron at the Halle Open was interrupted because of a medical emergency in the crowd. Play was stopped during Wednesday’s contest after a part of the advertising board appeared to fall on a spectator’s head.

Zverev had taken the first set 6-2 against Giron in Hamburg, but the 28-year-old’s momentum was stunted when play was forced to stop. Bystanders in the crowd were able to get the attention of the match officials, who quickly instructed the pair to stop playing in order for the unfortunate fan to be given medical attention.

It didn’t appear to knock Zverev off his stride too much, given the 2020 Olympic gold medalist won the second set and with it the match, dropping just one game. He’ll have a quick turnaround, with Lorenzo Sonego up next in the second round of the Halle Open.

Zverev was returning to action for the first time since his defeat in the final of the Stuttgart Open against Taylor Fritz. The American boasts a strong head-to-head record against Zverev, with the three-time Grand Slam finalist joking he’s “tired of” Fritz.

Speaking on court last week, he said: “Last but not least, Taylor, I’m f****** tired of you. I don’t wanna see you again over the next two to three years. Please stay away from me. Don’t come to Germany anymore. No, well done you deserve to win this title.”

He added: “You are one of the best players in the world on this surface and you were much better than me today, so congrats to the whole team and I’m sure you are going to do incredible on the next two tournaments on grass, so well done.”

It comes amid a short but hectic grass season, as Zverev looks to bring his wait for a Grand Slam title to an end. The Hamburg-born ace has finished second in all three of the Australian, French and American Opens, most recently losing to Jannik Sinner in Melbourne earlier this year.

Wimbledon, where Zverev has typically endured a patchy record, begins later this month, with the final pencilled in for July 13. Zverev’s best run at Wimbledon is to the fourth round, which he’s managed to do four times.