TENNIS: Coppa Italia fireworks trigger surreal smoke delay at Italian Open

The Italian Open quarterfinal between Italy’s Luciano Darderi and Spain’s Rafael Jodar was interrupted in unusual circumstances on Wednesday after smoke from fireworks at the nearby Stadio Olimpico drifted across the Foro Italico.

Jodar was leading 6-5 in the opening set when thick smoke moved onto the center court from the stadium, where Inter Milan had defeated Lazio 2-0 in the Coppa Italia final. The haze significantly reduced visibility and briefly disrupted the tournament’s electronic line-calling system.

Play was suspended for nearly 20 minutes as officials assessed conditions and waited for the smoke to clear and systems to reset.

Television footage showed the court partially obscured by drifting haze, with both players and spectators struggling to follow the action as the smoke lingered above the clay surface.

The disruption came during an already chaotic day in Rome, after heavy rain earlier in the schedule caused a delay of about two and a half hours, pushing matches deep into the evening.

When play is expected to resume, both players will continue a tightly contested opening set under increasingly challenging conditions at the Foro Italico. -Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico CityEditing by Toby Davis/Reuters