Climate protesters interrupt two Italian Open matches - Yahoo Sports
Climate protesters interrupt two Italian Open matches in Rome - BBC Sport
Climate protesters interrupt two Italian Open matches
Protesters caused delays at two matches at the Italian Open
- Published
Two matches at the Italian Open in Rome were suspended following a protest by climate activists.
The last-16 tie between Madison Keys and Sorana Cirstea was interrupted, along with a doubles match in which Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin were facing Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic.
American Keys was leading 6-2 3-1 when, according to a statement on the Italian Open website,, external two activists wearing orange vests ran on to the court and threw confetti.
Others glued themselves to the stand before police and firefighters arrived.
The protestors were taken away before the match resumed and Keys beat Romanian Cirstea 6-2 6-1.
There were similar scenes which caused a temporary stoppage to the doubles match on court 12.
Naomi Osaka lost 6-2 6-3 to China's Zheng Qinwen in the last 16.
Zheng, the Australian Open runner-up in January, reeled off seven straight games from 2-1 down in the first set.
She completed victory in one hour 24 minutes against Japan's Osaka, who was making her first appearance at the tournament since 2021.
Zheng will play Coco Gauff or Paula Badosa in the quarter-finals.
Related Knowledge Center: Climate diplomacy
Talks are well underway in preparation for the next major international meeting on climate change, 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28), scheduled to begin Nov. 30 in the United Arab Emirates.
Much like last year’s COP27, finances — specifically, aid to developing nations — will be at the center of conference deliberations.
The conference faces an even greater sense of urgency brought on by the Sept. 8, 2023, release of the first global stocktake, which calls for accelerated action to meet the goals set in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement (COP21).
Climate diplomacy: COP 27 | Climate diplomacy: COP 28 | Climate diplomacy: COP 29