Tennis players had to make like a bee and buzz off.
Second-ranked Carlos Alcaras and his opponent No. 6 Alexander Zverev had to leave the court during their quarterfinal match Thursday at the BNP Paribas Open 2024 in Indian Wells, California after the area was invaded by a swarm of bees.
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The stoppage, which was nearly two hours long, began early in the first set after Alcaras was swarmed as he was about to serve with the score at 1-1. He began swatting at the bees with his hand and racket before leaving the Stadium 1 court.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are surrounded by bees here so play is paused for a while," umpire Mohamed Lahyani told the crowd. "Play cannot continue. Pause for a while now."
Best to bee careful.
Tennis
The spider cam, a camera that hovers on cables above the court during play, was covered by bees. A beekeeper arrived and began removing the bees from the camera.
It was game, set and match for the beekeeper, who received a standing ovation from the crowd after his job was complete and even posed for some selfies with fans in the stands.
Play then resumed after a delay of one hour, 48 minutes.
It wasnt the first time a professional sporting event was suspended by bees. A 2019 baseball game between the Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres was delayed for 28 minutes after bees gathered on a microphone attached to the netting near the Padres' dugout.
A 2023 game between the Colorado Rockies and Baltimore Orioles was paused for five minutes when a swarm of honeybees settled in left field.