Bordeaux, France - Thai tennis twins Sonchat and Sanchai Ratiwatana became off-court champions when they saved the wife and child of an Argentine player, Lucas Arnold, from a fire in their hotel yesterday.

The brothers, who are in Bordeaux for a Challenger Series tournament, were in their room on the third floor of the Quality Suites hotel when the fire began.

While most players were downstairs having breakfast, the twins were getting ready for a fitness workout.

The fire started in room 315, registered to another player from Argentina, Eduardo Schwank.

Sonchat and Sanchai heard the alarm but did not realise how serious the fire was until they opened their room door.

"Black smoke then filled our room and we could not see," Sanchai said.

"I told my brother to grab his passport and computer and get out.

"We were trying to find the exit but we could not see anything," Sonchat said. "We called reception and they did not know much. So we wrapped towels around our faces and headed for any exit possible we could find."

While searching for an escape route, they heard a woman screaming for help and banging on her room door.

"When we opened the door, we saw Arnold’s wife and a child. She was thinking of jumping from her third floor room window," Sanchai said.

The brothers then wrapped towels around the woman and her son, and led them through the thick smoke to the stairway about 30 metres away.

"She was very calm but anxious," Sonchat said. "I think having her son with her helped her stay calm."

Arnold, a doubles player, was extremely grateful to the twins and joined them later in a practice session.

ROBERT DAVIS

BORDEAUX, FRANCE: Thai tennis twins Sonchat and Sanchai Ratiwatana became off-court champions when they saved the wife and child of an Argentine player, Lucas Arnold, from a fire in their hotel yesterday.