Game, set, match, bees.
Tennis fans did not love-love the bee-zarre turn at Indian Wells on Thursday when a swarm of bees disrupted a quarterfinal match of the BNP Paribas Open.
Umpire Mohamed Lahyani said play would be halted due to “bee invasion” at Stadium 1, after which video showed him being stung. He then fled for the locker room, according to Tennis Majors, as did Spanish pro tennis player Carlos Alcaraz and his German opponent, Alexander Zverev.
“First time for everything,” the announcer could be heard saying.
The bees were thick on the court as Alcaraz dashed about, trying not to get stung, and they collected on the spider cam, a camera suspended by cables.
The insects claimed victory, at least temporarily.
Alcaraz, the BNP Paribas Open defending champion, was playing against Zverev, who defeated Alcaraz in their last match at the Australian Open.
Alcaraz won 6-3 against Fabian Marozsan Tuesday to advance to the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open.
