A TENNIS fan was left seriously injured after a metal roof collapsed in horror scenes.
Supporters were in attendance at a beach tennis tournament in Brazil at the weekend.
However, disaster struck when winds of more than 60km/h (37mph) struck the Arena Beach Riberao in the state of Sao Paulo on Saturday.
The gusts saw the structure covering the main grandstand topple over on to spectators and damage the court.
It is understood nine fans were injured in total.
The local Civil Defence in stated one victim suffered a head injury.
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Brazilian emergency services were called to the site – a four-hour drive north of Sao Paulo city.
They treated the injured at the site and transported them to nearby Unimed Hospital.
Seven of the nine have been discharged.
However, the 44-year-old man required surgery on his head and a 33-year-old woman needed operations on her thigh and right shoulder.
Firefighters also conducted an evacuation.
Video footage from fans at the Sand Series Ribeirao Preto event showed terrified tennis spectators desperately escaping the temporary stands in the immediate aftermath of the collapse.
Sand Series organisers confirmed Sunday’s semi-finals and final would take place behind closed doors and weekend tickets would be refunded.
City authorities confirmed the event had the required safety permits in place and investigations are underway into the incident, which saw the damaged court remain closed.
Sand Series Ribeirao Preto said in a statement: “A strong gale knocked down the central grandstand’s roof.
“There was a coordinated evacuation by the fire department, without any chaos or accident resulting from the public’s exit.
“As a consequence of the incident, according to the latest update from local authorities, nine people were injured, with no fatalities.
“The event’s organisation is personally accompanying the assistance being provided at the hospital.
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“Soon, the Sand Series Ribeirao Preto organisation will release new information about the location for retrieving lost belongings and the continuation of the competition.
“The Sand Series Ribeirao Preto wishes a swift recovery to the injured and is offering its full support to the fans who were present at the venue.”
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