Protesters disrupt US Open semi-finals

NEW YORK : Protesters halted play at the U.S. Open women's semi-final on Thursday with American Coco Gauff leading Czech Karolina Muchova.

With Gauff up a set and holding serve to open the second, a disturbance erupted in the upper bowl of Arthur Ashe Stadium and shouting began, disrupting play. It was unclear what the protest was about but ESPN reported it involved climate activists.

Photographs of the scene showed three protesters wearing shirts with the slogan, “End Fossil Fuels".

As players looked into the stands, security flooded into the section around the disturbance. Television showed more than a dozen law enforcement officers in the section.

Players left the court and waited for play to resume.

Just Stop Oil protesters interrupted play at Wimbledon in July, releasing orange ticker-tape mixed with jigsaw puzzle pieces during matches.