TENNIS CHANNEL LIVE: The TC team looks back on Coco Gauff's memorable first round at the 2023 US Open.

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NEW YORK—Sometimes it’s easy to forget the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is smack dab in the middle of a park.

But nature came calling in a hilarious way at the 2023 US Open as a squirrel forced a let in a doubles match featuring Laura Siegemund and Vera Zvonareva against Greet Minnen and Yanina Wickmayer.

Ironically, it was Siegemund who had been under fire earlier in the tournament for seeming to intentionally slow down play in her singles encounter with Coco Gauff. Gauff complained to umpire Marijana Veljovic and the pro-American crowd ultimately booed Siegemund off court, reducing her to tears in her post-match press conference.

This time it was Siegemund, a 2020 women’s doubles champion with Zvonareva, who was forced to wait when, trailing Minnen and Wickmayer by a set, a squirrel raced onto Court 5. No word on whether the squirrel had successfully procured one of the increasingly more expensive grounds passes on sale.

The point was replayed and Siegemund/Zvonareva ultimately emerged victorious, defeating Minnen and Wickmayer, 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-0 to reach the third round on Saturday.

Awaiting them there will be the all-American team of Robin Montgomery and Clervie Ngounoue. The two pairs will face off on the now-infamous Court 17, which earned a reputation for its preponderance of marijuana smoke earlier in the tournament.

"The smell, oh my gosh," said Maria Sakkari after her first-round exit. "I think it's from the park."

Here’s to you, Corona Park. Stay weird!