Play halted during French Open semi-final as protester ties herself to the net before being carried away by security
The French Open semi-final between Marin Cilic and Casper Ruud was temporarily halted after a protester tied herself to the net during play.
A female protester with a message reading ‘We have 1028 days left’ printed on her T-shirt made her way onto Court Philippe Chatrier midway through the third set on Friday evening.
The woman knelt next to the post and appeared to fasten a cable tie around her neck to the net.
Play was suspended with both players temporarily leaving the court while security freed the woman before carrying her away.
The delay in play lasted for 15 minutes before the contest resumed.
The organisation Dernière Rénovation appears to have claimed responsibility for the protest.
A tweet from the group claims ’22-year-old Alizée’ entered the court in order to ‘draw attention to the climate emergency’.
Norway’s Ruud went onto secure victory in the contest, recovering from dropping the opening set to set up a final against Rafael Nadal which will be played on Sunday.
Similar incidents took place during the Premier League football season this year with a protester tying himself to the goal post in a fixture between Everton and Newcastle United.
