WATCH: Pro-Palestinian leaflet shower halts Australian Open match midway

Because the ball kids cleaned the area quickly, the match saw a delay for just a couple of minutes.

WATCH: Pro-Palestinian leaflet shower halts Australian Open match midway

Ball kids picking up the papers (L), a pro-Palestinian protester (R) (Images via X)

On Monday (January 22), Alexander Zverev had his fourth-round match against Cameron Norrie at the Margaret Court Arena in the ongoing Australian Open. The match, however, halted briefly due to a shower of papers.

A protester from the stand started throwing what appeared to be pro-Palestinian leaflets. The protester was wearing a light blue shirt and cap, and the face was covered with a mask.

YouTube video

The incident happened during the third and fifth games of the third set. As soon as it happened, the ball kids quickly started picking up the pamphlets, but the protesters started throwing more of them. The ball kids plus the officials later cleared out the area.

FS Video

Later, the protester, who appeared to be a woman, was dragged out of the stadium by another woman and a man. On the A4-size sheets, the message read, “War crimes and genocide. Free Palestine.”

Watch the video here:

Because the ball kids cleaned the area quickly, the match saw a delay for just a couple of minutes.

Alexander Zverev defeats Cameron Norrie to book a spot in the quarter-finals against Carlos Alcaraz

Britain’s Cameron Norrie defeated Casper Ruud in the third round to set his match up against Germany’s Alexander Zverev. Zverev faced USA’s Alex Michelsen in the third round.

Alexander Zverev
Cameron Norrie, Alexander Zverev (Images via X)

Both Zverev and Norrie won two sets each, and the fifth set was to decide the winner. The 19th seed Norrie had never defeated a top-10 before at a Grand Slam event and he had a chance to eliminate the World No. 6. However, his mistakes in the tie-break led to a heartbreaking defeat. The Olympic champion clinched the match with a score of 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(10-3).

At the end of the day, it is a Grand Slam and everyone is playing their best here. Cam has been playing amazing tennis, and I'm just happy to be through.
Zverev said after the victory over Norrie in the fourth round of AO

The German player is playing for his first Grand Slam title but to lift the coveted cup, he will have to defeat two-time Grand Slam champion, Carlos Alcaraz, in the quarter-finals scheduled on Wednesday (January 24th). Alcaraz, the second-seeded player, won his last match against Miomir Kecmanovic in three easy sets 6-4, 6-4, 6-0.

Alcaraz and Zverev locked horns with each other seven times, and the latter emerged victorious four times. Their last encounter was at the Nitto ATP Finals, which was won by Zverev 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-4.

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