Persistent rain continues to disrupt the prestigious tennis tournament in Rome, forcing organizers to halt play for a second time on the same day. The inclement weather has led to the postponement of several singles matches, which will now be completed on May 7.
The tournament's press service confirmed the decision, noting that four matches were in progress when the rain returned. Two matches from the men's draw and two from the women's draw were affected by the stoppage.
In the men's singles, the match between Hungary's Marton Fucsovics and Croatia's Dino Prizmic was suspended with the score at 4-6. Another men's encounter featuring Britain's Jacob Fearnley against France's Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard was also halted, with Fearnley leading 5-3.
The women's draw saw similar disruptions. Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic was leading Italy's Noemi Basilatti 5-3 when play was stopped. Meanwhile, the match between Ukraine's Yulia Starodubtseva and Switzerland's Simona Waltert was interrupted in the third set, with Waltert ahead 5-7, 6-4, 1-4.
The Rome tournament, which runs from May 5 to May 17, is a key event on the tennis calendar. The defending champions are Italy's Jasmine Paolini in the women's singles and Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in the men's singles.
Organizers will be hoping for improved weather conditions to allow the tournament schedule to proceed as planned. The repeated delays highlight the challenges of outdoor clay-court events during the European spring season.
Based on reporting from Чемпионат.com.