Jessica Pegula and Linda Noskova’s final at the Berlin Open was significantly delayed on Sunday.
Tennis fans were hoping to see the contest get underway in the early afternoon but those hopes were dashed due to adverse weather conditions.
Pictures show that heavy rainfall and high winds have battered the site, with much of the outside furniture damaged, in addition to standing water.
Fans who were already at the tournament had to take shelter as the weather took a turn for the worse and before 1pm, event organisers closed the grounds and attendees were evacuated.
Berlin Open organisers even called for ticket holders to stay away, with the final eventually getting underway after 5.30pm.
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Earlier on Sunday, the tournament posted on Instagram, “Dear Tennis Fans. Due to severe weather conditions, we were forced to clear the tournament grounds as a precautionary measure.
“The heavy rainfall has caused damage to parts of the site’s infrastructure. Despite close coordination with the German Weather Service, the storm developed with an intensity that was not anticipated.
“Your safety is our highest priority. For your own safety, we kindly ask you not to travel to the venue at this time. We are working at full speed to continue the tournament and are currently assessing the next steps.”
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Updates then followed at 2pm and then 4pm, with tournament organisers once again apologising for the inconvenience.
They also touched on the possibility of security staff behaving “inappropriately” during the chaos.
“We were prepared for the forecasted weather conditions and had already initiated precautionary measures. However, the intensity and speed of the storm made additional actions necessary at very short notice,” the Berlin Open said in a statement.
“If any individual members of the security staff behaved inappropriately during the evacuation, we would like to sincerely apologise. Our primary focus was to clear the grounds as quickly and safely as possible.
“Our teams are currently working at full speed to restore the venue. In addition to damage to parts of the infrastructure, technical systems were also affected. Before the grounds can be reopened, all safety requirements for visitors must be fully met.”
Pegula and Noskova eventually arrived on court many hours after their original scheduled start time. When the match finally did get underway, Noskova took the first set 6-4, Pegula responded to take the second by the same scoreline, before the Czech star claimed the third 6-2.
The 21-year-old is now up to a career-high ranking of 10th, while Pegula stays fourth. The youngster pockets €161,310 and 500 points, whereas the American walks away with €99,565 and 325 points of her own.
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