Japan's Sho Shimabukuro lost in the men's singles first round at the Wimbledon tennis championships Wednesday after his match was interrupted by environmental activists who ran onto the court throwing confetti and jigsaw puzzle pieces.
Three other Japanese singles players were also eliminated in the first round, Taro Daniel and Shintaro Mochizuki in men's play and Nao Hibino in the women's draw.
Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov defeated Shimabukuro 6-1, 6-2, 6-1.
The match, already postponed by a day due to poor weather, started late before being suspended by rain during the first set and then saw the Just Stop Oil activists sprinkle orange confetti and puzzle pieces on the playing surface during the second set, interrupting play for about 50 minutes.
One activist was quickly ushered away, while another sat crossed legged on the court before finally being taken off.
The group has also disrupted football, rugby and cricket matches and other sports events.
"We are competing seriously," Grand Slam debutant Shimabukuro said, referring to the incident. "They might have a motive, but they should never do that kind of thing."
The 25-year-old from Gifu, central Japan, also said, "I just couldn't play my tennis. What happened made things difficult for me, too."
Also Wednesday, Novak Djokovic, seeking his fifth straight Wimbledon championship, defeated Australia's Jordan Thompson 6-3, 7-6(4), 7-5 in the second round.
Women's top seed Iga Swiatek also advanced to the third round, with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo.
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