The weather in Bucharest has definitively won the third day of the Tiriac Open. Although organizers made tremendous efforts to prepare at least one court at the Simona Halep National Tennis Center, the only started round of 16 singles match between Fabian Marozsan and Stefanos Sakellaridis lasted just a few minutes before the chair umpire and supervisor had to make the final call to suspend play for the day.
Drama at the Net: Umpire and Supervisor Step Onto the Soaked Clay
After rain drizzled all day and the entire daytime schedule was pushed back for hours, a slim hope emerged in the afternoon that we might see at least one completed match. The groundskeepers managed to remove the covers from Center Court and seemingly brought the clay to a playable state, allowing Marozsan and Sakellaridis to take the court.
However, as soon as play began, it became clear that the conditions were nowhere near acceptable. The clay was excessively slippery and heavy, and the ball barely bounced, posing a serious safety risk to the players. Marozsan looked visibly frustrated with the conditions, and after just two games, the tennis had to stop.
At that moment, we witnessed an unusual scene: the chair umpire climbed down to the court, joined by the ATP tournament supervisor. Together with both players, a serious discussion about continuing the match took place right at the net. Our exclusive on-site photograph captures that exact critical moment of negotiation.
Before making the final decision to suspend the match, the umpire thoroughly checked the condition of the surface, particularly near the baseline, to see if the conditions were safe to continue.
All remaining round of 16 matches have been postponed to Thursday. Organizers will now face a heavily congested schedule, as some players will likely have to play two matches in a single day to finish the tournament according to Sunday’s planned schedule. Stay tuned to TennisSignals for the latest updates and official announcements.
For all live scores, full draws, and the latest match schedule as soon as the rain stops, follow our main Tiriac Open 2026 HUB page.