Inclement weather disrupted the opening day of main draw action at the Rome tennis tournament on May 6, as rain caused the suspension of several first-round matches in both the men's and women's singles competitions.
The tournament, which runs from May 5 through May 17, saw its schedule thrown into disarray by the wet conditions in the Italian capital. Play was halted across multiple courts as organizers waited for the weather to improve.
In the women's singles draw, several matches were interrupted mid-contest. Among the suspended encounters were the matches featuring Anastasia Potapova against Dalma Galfi, Oksana Selekhmetieva versus Rebeka Masarova, and Katie Boulter's clash with Eva Lys. Each of these contests had reached a decisive third set before the rain intervened.
Additional women's matches affected by the weather included the encounter between Yulia Starodubtseva and Simona Waltert, as well as the contest pitting Karolina Pliskova against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. Both of these matches were in their second sets when play was stopped.
The men's singles draw was not spared from the disruptions either. The first-round match between Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta and Chile's Alejandro Tabilo was also suspended due to the rainfall, with Tabilo holding a 5-2 advantage in the opening set.
The Rome tournament is one of the key clay-court events leading up to the French Open later this month. The defending champions in this year's edition are Italy's Jasmine Paolini in the women's singles and Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in the men's singles.
Tournament officials will be hoping for improved weather conditions in the coming days to allow the first-round matches to be completed and the schedule to get back on track.
Based on reporting from Чемпионат.com.