A surfer was lucky to escape with a superficial scratch on his back, a torn wetsuit and teeth marks in his board when he was attacked by a shark on Tuesday off an Australian beach.
In this photo taken from video, Marcel Brunder, 37, describes how he punched a shark as he was attacked while surfing, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in the waters near Lorne, 140 kms. (90 miles) southwest of Melbourne, Australia. (Australia Broadcasting Corporation via AP)
Marcel Brundler, 37, estimated the shark that grabbed his board was a 3-meter (10-foot) great white shark. He was surfing near Lorne, 140 kilometers (90 miles) southwest of the Victoria state capital, Melbourne.
Bundler said he punched the shark before making his escape by catching a wave.
"At first I didn't think anything of it, we have lots of dolphins in the water here, but then I realized it was big, much bigger," Brundler said.
"At some stage, it had me in its jaw. I was shouting and punching it while it attacked me," he said.
"I was really, really lucky this wave popped up out of nowhere," he added.
In this photo taken from video, Marcel Brunder, 37, holds his board as he looks out to sea after being attacked while surfing, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in the waters near Lorne, 140 kms. (90 miles) southwest of Melbourne, Australia. (Australia Broadcasting Corporation via AP)
Lucas Von Graevenitz Sanchez said he watched the attack through his binoculars from the shore.
"The shark was massive," Von Graevenitz Sanchez said.
Police said Brundler was remarkably calm after the attack.
"The shark left bite marks in his board and tore at his wetsuit ... but he has no injuries. He was very, very lucky," police Senior Constable Mick Atkinson said.
"There were four surfers in the water at the time and they paddled in pretty quickly after that," Atkinson added.
In this photo taken from video, Marcel Brunder, 37, shows the teeth marks on his surf board after being attacked while surfing, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in the waters near Lorne, 140 kms. (90 miles) southwest of Melbourne, Australia. (Australia Broadcasting Corporation via AP)
Despite the ordeal, Brundler said he would probably surf again next week.
"Maybe not on my own though, it will be a little scary," he said.
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Venus Williams has received a wild-card entry for the Australian Open beginning Jan. 18 in Melbourne.
The tournament said Friday that the 45-year-old Williams would make a return to Melbourne Park 28 years after her first appearance. In 1998, she defeated her younger sister Serena in the second round before losing in the quarterfinals to fellow American Lindsay Davenport.
Venus had announced in November that she would play in Auckland, New Zealand, where she also received a wild card, two weeks before the Australian Open. The Australian Open said Williams was also entered to play a tournament in Hobart, Australia a week later and just before play begins at Melbourne Park.
She last appeared in Melbourne in 2021 and has finished runner-up in the women’s singles twice, losing to Serena in the finals in 2003 and 2017.
“I’m excited to be back in Australia and looking forward to competing during the Australian summer,” Williams said. “I’ve had so many incredible memories there, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to return to a place that has meant so much to my career.”
Williams' record at Melbourne Park is 54 wins and 21 losses. This year will be the 22nd time she has appeared in the main draw.
The tournament said Williams is set to become the oldest woman to compete in an Australian Open main draw, surpassing the record previously held by Japan’s Kimiko Date, who was 44 when she lost in the first round at Melbourne Park in 2015.
In late December, Williams married Danish-born model and actor Andrea Preti at Palm Beach, Florida.
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
FILE - U.S. tennis player Venus Williams poses for a photo during the 2026 Pirelli calendar launch in Prague, Czech Republic, Friday, Nov. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek, File)
FILE - Andrea Preti, left, and Venus Williams attend the CFDA Fashion Awards, hosted by The Council of Fashion Designers of America, at The American Museum of Natural History on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Venus Williams, of the United States, returns a shot with partner Leylah Fernandez, of Canada, during a quarterfinal doubles match at the U.S. Open tennis championships, Sept. 2, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa, File)
