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Demonstrators of the match between Coco Gauff and Karolina Muchova.
CNN
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Thursday at US Open The women’s semifinal between Coco Gauff and Karolina Muchova was halted in the second set after what appeared to be crowd protesters disrupted play in New York.
The US Open called it a fan-related incident, according to a statement, and said an attendee “placed himself on the floor and due to the nature of this action, medical professionals were required, NYPD and security personnel to resolve the issue and remove the fan from the stands.”
As the audience – who shouted about “environmental issues,” according to the ESPN broadcast – was removed, fans in Arthur Ashe Stadium cheered.
Charles Krupa/AP
New York police officers escorted a man from the crowd.
Gauff and Muchova left the court during the stoppage, then returned and play finally resumed after more than 45 minutes of delay.
Four protesters were involved, and three of them were “escorted from the stadium without further incident,” according to a statement from the US Tennis Association late Thursday.
USTA executive Stacey Allaster told the ESPN broadcast: “There’s no doubt in a stadium with 24,000 seats, hopefully people won’t get ideas.
“We know in these large events, environmental protesters use the platform. In fact, security will continue – together with the NYPD – to see what we can do to prevent this in the future.
After winning the semifinal, Gauff told reporters that while the delay hampered his momentum, he wasn’t upset about the interruption.
“I always talk about preaching … about how you feel and what you believe,” Gauff said. “It was done in a peaceful way, so I’m not upset about it.”
“If that’s what they feel they have to do to have their voices heard, I’m not at all upset about it,” Gauff added.
The 19-year-old said he expected a protest to take place at some point during the tournament after similar protests earlier this year at tournaments, including anti-oil protesters in Wimbledon.
“I would prefer it not to happen in my game but I am not angry with the protesters. I know the stadium because it interferes with the fun,” Gauff said.