Wimbledon: Ball boy injured after collapsing helped by Jodie Burrage
Great Britain’s Jodie Burrage came to the aid of a ball boy who was taken ill during her first-round match at Wimbledon with Lesia Tsurenko.
The youngster looked unsteady on his feet early in the second set of her 6-2 6-3 loss and the 23-year-old Briton attended to him, offering an energy gel from her bag and a drink.
The crowd also helped out, passing some Percy Pig sweets to her during a five-minute delay.
The ball boy was later treated by paramedics and left in a wheelchair.
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Friends Val Shand, 61, a retired lawyer, and tennis coach Laura Middleton, 60, were courtside when it happened.
Ms Shand told the PA news agency: “He was either too hot or he hadn’t had enough to eat, he just looked like he needed sugar or water. He wobbled.
“Jodie Burrage was really sweet, she went and got him water and sweets. She gave him a blue Gatorade and some sort of energy bar.
“She was really good, really nice to him. He sat for a while looking like he was about to pass out. If I was his mum I would have been over there, but fortunately for him I wasn’t. I felt for him.”
Ms Middleton added: “He was wilting and his glasses were off as well. The game just stopped. It was at the end of a point and he sort of just crumbled.
“Tsurenko handed over some sweets or gummies for him to eat as well. It seemed a little while before somebody came to get him.
“It felt like longer because we were distressed for him, because it didn’t look like he was going to get back on his feet without help.”
Steve Hanlon, who was also watching the game, said he saw audience members hand Burrage the Percy Pig sweets for the boy.
He told PA: “As far as I could tell, he looked like he started to feel a bit faint, sat down, head slumped a bit. He just looked exhausted but it had only been one game back in, so I’m not sure.
“Jodie went and got him a drink and some sweets from the crowd. I think someone from the crowd handed it over. I think it was Percy Pigs - which solve every problem, right? Hopefully he’s OK.”
