A few hours ago tennis great Roger Federer set to play his final match at the 2022 Laver Cup, a match between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Diego Schwarzman was called off on Friday after a British protester stormed the pitch and set his hand on fire to protest the use of private jets. A man wearing a T-shirt that read ‘End UK Private Jets’ ran up Center Court at the O2 Arena in London where he proceeded to light his hand on fire. A protester walks away after storming the pitch wearing a slogan ‘End UK Private Jets’ during the singles match between Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas of Team Europe and Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman of Team World at the Laver Cup 2022 at the O2 Arena in London on September. 23, 2022. (GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images) He quickly doused the flames on his hand before security rushed to the court to put out the remaining fire and drag the man out. ROGER FEDERER TO PAIR TENNIS LEGEND FOR FINAL MATCH The court was not damaged in the demonstration. The man involved belongs to a group that claims “carbon emissions in 2022 are genocide”. Reuters reported, citing local media. A man sets his hand on fire during a protest during a match by Team World’s Diego Schwartzman against Team Europe’s Stefanos Tsitsipas on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 in London, Friday, Sept. 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) The protester “has been arrested and the situation is being handled by the police,” Laver Cup organizers said in a statement. “It came out of nowhere. I have no idea what it’s about. I’ve never had an incident like this happen to me in court. I hope he’s okay,” Tsitsipas said of the incident. via Sky Sports. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM “I wanted to continue the match without making minor changes to the pitch and make sure it was playable, especially in that area. It also got in the way of my viewing experience as I saw the pitch later. There was a big sign there and I just wanted to make it clear.” A protester lights a fire on the pitch during the first day of the Laver Cup at the O2 Arena, London Friday, September 23, 2022. (John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images) Fortunately for Tsitsipas, the incident did not derail his game and he beat Schwartzman for Team Europe’s 6-2, 6-1 victory over Team World. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Federer will appear on the same court on Friday evening when he teams up with long-time rival and friend Rafael Nadal in a doubles match – his final before retiring. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Paulina Dedaj is a Digital Reporter for Fox News and Fox Business. Follow Paulina Dedaj on Twitter at @PaulinaDedaj. If you have a tip, you can email Paulina at [email protected]
