WATCH: Protesters distrupt match between Madison Keys and Sorana Cirstea by throwing confetti on the court at Italian Open

Multiple protests disrupted Monday's Italian Open matches.

WATCH: Protesters distrupt match between Madison Keys and Sorana Cirstea by throwing confetti on the court at Italian Open

Sorana Cirstea, Madison Keys (Images via Imago, X)

The fourth round match of the Italian Open between 18th seed Madison Keys and 28th seed Sorana Cirstea on Monday (May 13th) was suspended due to protesters. 

Two protesters, wearing orange vests invaded the Pietrangeli court when Key was leading the match by a set (6-2). During the second set, when the score read 3-1 and Cirstea was serving, the two men stormed onto the court and started throwing confetti amidst loud boos from the crowd.

YouTube video

One protester, who was standing by the net was taken off the court by the security guards. The attendant then started sweeping the confetti. As it was difficult for them to clean, the match was suspended but resumed around 45 minutes later, and Keys did not take much time to beat the Spaniard with a scoreline of 6-2, 6-1.

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Multiple protests disrupted Monday’s Italian Open matches. Shortly afterward the incident in Pietrangeli court, protesters disturbed the fourth-round men’s doubles match in which fifth seed Édouard Roger-Vasselin and Santiago González were facing unseeded Marcelo Arévalo and Mate Pavić. 

The pair of Arévalo and Pavić won the first set 6-1 and were leading the second set with scores of 4-2. The match was also suspended for the same reason. 

Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alex de Minaur’s match halted due to protesters 

On the Grand Stand Arena, 18th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime was clashing against ninth seed Alex de Minaur. As they started playing their first-set tiebreak, umpire Manuel Messina stopped the match for a while.  

Italian Open protest
Felix Auger-Aliassime, Alex de Minaur (Images via Imago)

As per Portuguese journalist Jose Morgado, a third protest was planned on the Grand Stand Arena but the protesters couldn’t make it to the court as the tournament security stopped them.   

Just hearing there are some protesters on the outside courts here in Rome so I don't know whether that's the case here on Grand Stand Arena but that is far from ideal if that's the case. 
Sky Sports commentator Adam Fielder said on-air 

Though initially the cause behind the protests was unknown, Barron‘s report revealed the environmental protesters caused the disruption. These protesters were from the climate group Ultima Generazione (Last Generation).

These incidents have already raised eyebrows over the security measures at the Foro Italico. 

A similar incident unfolded during last year’s US Open semifinal between Coco Gauff and Karolina Muchova and the match was halted for nearly an hour inside the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

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