Player quits Australian Open due to bad air quality

JULIAN FINNEY / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP

Dalila Jakupovic was forced to retire from Australian Open qualifiers because of the "unhealthy" air quality in Melbourne.

She collapsed with a coughing fit and was unable to finish her service game despite leading 6-4 5-6 against Switzerland's Stefanie Vogele.

"I was really scared," Slovenian Dalila Jakupovic told the media. "I never had breathing problems. I actually like heat. But ... I just couldn't breathe anymore and I just fell on the floor."

Former Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard and Australia's Bernard Tomic also required medical timeout during their games.

A thick haze from the raging wildfires has enveloped Melbourne, leaving air quality in the "very poor" to “hazardous” range.

Meanwhile, Australian Open said it will make further decisions about the matches after consulting with its medical team, the Bureau of Meteorology and scientists from the state’s Environment Protection Authority.