Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz has survived a swarm of bees to defeat sixth seed Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-1 after their BNP Paribas Open quarter-final was delayed for nearly two hours on Thursday night.
During the first set, with the score tied at 1-1, there was an unexpected visit from bees at Indian Wells. The Spanish player was serving when the bees invaded the court, stands, and covered cameras. The umpire, Mohamed Lahyani, halted the match and the players had to seek shelter in the tunnel while they swatted away the bees.
A man tried to remove a group of bees from the camera equipment during a break in play.
The game had only been in progress for 19 minutes before the bees caused a disturbance, resulting in a delay of one hour and 48 minutes. Alcaraz secured his win by defeating the German for the fourth time and maintaining his 10-game winning streak at the Californian desert.
Alcaraz remarked on the unusual occurrence of bees at the tennis match, stating that it was a first for him. He admitted to feeling a bit fearful of the bees, but was able to refocus and continue playing once the match resumed.
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Alcaraz and Sinner will compete in the semi-finals, as Sinner defeated Lehecka 6-3, 6-3 and maintains his 16-match winning streak in 2021.
Despite the windy and cool weather, Sinner, the hottest player on the men’s tour, remained dominant throughout the match. His opponent, on the other hand, made many unforced errors and only had one chance to break. Sinner commented on the challenging conditions, mentioning the strong wind in the morning that affected the first set.
“His potential is immense, so I was mindful of every point I made. I am simply pleased to have made it to the semi-finals again this year, giving me the opportunity to play one of the most prestigious tournaments of the year.”
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Iga Swiatek, ranked as the top women’s player in the world, expressed relief that she was not on the court during the moment when a swarm of bees appeared. During her post-match press conference, she exclaimed, “That’s insane! Just 30 minutes ago, there was nothing like it. I definitely would have run away!”
Swiatek earlier reached the semi-finals when former world No 1 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark retired in the second set of their quarter-final. Wozniacki, who won at Indian Wells in 2011, held a 4-1 lead in the first set before Swiatek rallied for a 6-4 win.
Wozniacki took a medical time-out in between sets for a foot issue, then played just one game in the second set before pulling out of the match. Swiatek, seeking her second title at Indian Wells in three years, won the match 6-4, 1-0.
Swiatek expressed great admiration for her opponent, stating “I am disappointed that the match ended that way, but I wish her a speedy recovery and hope she will be prepared for the Miami tournament.” In the next round, Swiatek will face Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, the 31st seed, who defeated Russian Anastasia Potapova, the 28th seed, in a quick 68-minute match by a score of 6-0, 7-5.
