Dad’s ‘ heart attack was just bad sushi’
KIM Sears’ father has told how his dramatic collapse at the Australian Open was caused by a “bad piece of sushi”.
Tennis coach Nigel Sears, 58, was feared to have suffered a heart attack after he blacked out for more than two minutes during a match at the Rod Laver Arena.
Heavily pregnant Kim was watching the drama unfold on TV back home last month.
Mr Sears underwent a series of tests and doctors have been unable to establish why he was struck down.
Yesterday he said he is convinced he suffered food poisoning after eating raw fish for 10 days in a row.
He said: “It was a really strange one and I’m just really sorry I worried a lot of people unnecessarily.
“Quite honestly my timing could not have been worse, with Kim being just a few days away from giving birth.”
Mr Sears was watching Ana Ivanovic, whom he coaches, when he was struck down.
Son- in- law Andy Murray was also in action at the time but on a different court and he knew nothing of what happened until after winning his match against Joao Sousa. Murray then dashed to Epworth hospital in Melbourne to be at his father- in- law’s side. Mr Sears said: “He was great, he came straight to the hospital in the tennis clothes he’d been wearing during his match and stayed with me for a long time.
“Andy was naturally concerned, but the important thing was he could start relaying stuff back to Kim and her mum because they obviously wanted to know what was going on.”