American No. 1 Taylor Fritz found the mid-match disruption “annoying” as climate protesters briefly interrupted his round-of-16 match against Andy Murray at the Citi Open 2023 on Friday. The blockbuster match was delayed in the first set when fans displayed banners and then threw some jumbo balls inside the court. Despite the delay, Frtiz claimed a 3-set win over former world no. 1 Murray, 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-4.
In the stands, some people chanted and displayed signs protesting the use of fossil fuels. About a dozen people were asked to leave the tournament and did so without incident, a spokesperson for the tournament said.
Also Read: Citi Open 2023: Schedule, Top Seeds, Draws, Check All you need to know
“I get they’re protesting, but there’s just got to be a better way to do it,” said Taylor Fritz, a 25-year-old from California who is No. 9 in the ATP rankings and the top-seeded man at the DC Open.
“I don’t understand how people are going to get behind a cause when you’re ruining everyone else’s good time. Like, it doesn’t really make sense to me. … It’s annoying, obviously, when they do it. It’s ruining everyone’s time. Everyone wants to watch the tennis. So I jokingly said, ‘Honestly, this makes me want to go fly on jets more,’” Fritz said with a smile. “I think, you know, they’re supporting a good cause, but the way they’re doing it, who’s going to want to listen when they’re just annoying everybody?”
At Wimbledon last month, three environmental activists were arrested after jumping out of the stands to disrupt matches by scattering orange confetti and puzzle pieces on the court.
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