The U.S. Open semifinal match on Thursday evening between Coco Gauff and Karolina Muchova was delayed by greater than 40 minutes early within the second set by three environmental protesters within the higher ranges of Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The protest confused followers, tv commentators and the gamers themselves, who had been attempting to know what the group was protesting and why the match had been delayed so lengthy. When play stopped, Gauff was main, 6-4, 1-0, and each gamers left the court docket.
As stadium safety tried to take away the protesters from the stadium, a number of New York City law enforcement officials had been seen within the higher stage.
“As we witnessed we had environment protesters up in the loge area,” the match director, Stacey Allaster, advised ESPN in an interview close to the court docket late within the delay. “When security got there they found one of the protesters had physically glued himself, his bare feet, to the cement floor.”
About 38 minutes into the delay, the U.S. Open mentioned in a submit on X, previously often known as Twitter, that the New York City Police Department was “in the process of resolving a fan disturbance.”
“Play will resume as soon as possible,” the U.S. Open mentioned. “Thank you for your patience.”
At about 8:50 p.m., about 45 minutes into the delay, the gamers returned to the court docket to heat up.
This was not the primary occasion of an environmental protest at a sporting occasion. At Wimbledon in July, environmental protesters halted play throughout a match by throwing confetti onto a grass court docket.
Nicole Andersen, a nutritionist from Brooklyn, was sitting about 12 rows behind the protesters the Section 114 of the loge stage. Initially, Andersen mentioned she thought they had been cheering loudly for Gauff.
“Then we realized it was some kind of protest,” Andersen mentioned. “Then they would not shut up and stop.”
Andersen mentioned that local weather points are “certainly a problem,” however added that the protesters on the match could have chosen “not the most effective way to protest for change.”
During the delay, Muchova jogged within the hallways exterior the locker room. Gauff talked with workers members and checked social media. On the published, Gauff might be heard telling her coaches that safety and police had been “negotiating” with the protesters, “like it’s a hostage situation.”
By 8:55 p.m., the gamers resumed the match, with Muchova to serve down 1-0 in he second set.
The winner between Gauff and Muchova will play the winner of the opposite semifinal matchup, between Aryna Sabalenka and Madison Keys, who had been scheduled to play in Ashe Stadium after the primary match.
Kurt Streeter and Matthew Futterman contributed reporting.
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