American teenager Coco Gauff shrugged off a 49-minute stoppage caused by climate protesters to power into the US Open final with a straight sets defeat of Karolina Muchova.
The 19-year-old from Florida advanced to her first final at Flushing Meadows after winning 6-4, 7-5 in a semifinal that took nearly three hours to complete due to disruption by protesters.
Gauff later admitted the long delay had been “challenging” but said she had sympathy with the activists and their cause.
“I definitely, I believe, you know, in climate change,” Gauff said. “I think there are things we can do better.
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“I know the tournaments are doing things to do better for the environment. Would I prefer it not happening in my match? 100 per cent, yeah. I’m not gonna sit here and lie.
“I think that moments like this are history-defining moments. I prefer it not to happen in my match but I wasn’t pissed at the protesters. I know the stadium was because it just interrupted entertainment.
“Obviously I don’t want it to happen when I’m winning up 6-4, 1-0, and I wanted the momentum to keep going. But hey, if that’s what they felt they needed to do to get their voices heard, I can’t really get upset at it.”
