Protesters forced two matches to be suspended at the Italian Open on Monday.
Two members of environmental protest group Ultima Generazione ran on to the court wearing orange vests and threw confetti, while other activists glued themselves to the stands.
A statement on the Italian Open website read: “With the public very angry against the demonstrators, the police officers and firefighters also arrived. One of the demonstrators had moved onto the lawn under the big screen of (Court) Pietrangeli. He was taken away by the police.”
One of the matches suspended was Madison Keys' last-16 win over Sorana Cirstea. Keys was leading 6-2 3-1 when the match was temporarily suspended, with the players returning to the locker room; after play resumed the 18th-seeded American went on to win the second set 6-1.
Protesters block the court during the Men's Doubles Round of 16 match (2024 Getty Images)
Protesters disrupt the third round match between Madison Keys of the United States and Sorana Cirstea of Romania (Robert Prange/Getty Images)Play was also interrupted by protestors on Court 12, where Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin were playing a second-round doubles match against Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic.
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Britain’s Cameron Norrie bowed out of the tournament after losing his second-round match against Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets, 6-2 7-6 (1).
Norrie, the 27th seed, recovered from a break down in the second set to force a tie-break, but Greece’s Tsitsipas showed greater patience in the extended rallies and came out on top.
Australia’s ninth seed Alex de Minaur will play Tsitsipas in the round of 16 after beating Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-7 (2) 6-4 6-4.
In the women’s event, Naomi Osaka lost her last-16 match 6-2 6-3 to China’s Zheng Qinwen, the Australian Open runner-up in January.
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