Middle East Conflict: Iranian drone attack on UAE causes fire at nearby oil terminal and tennis players flee the court
At an ATP Challenger Tour event in the United Arab Emirates, an Iranian drone strike caused a fire at an oil terminal about 10 kilometers away, sending players and officials fleeing the stadium.
Two games in Fujairah, about 90 miles southeast of Dubai, were halted shortly after the attack on its port on Tuesday morning. The ATP later confirmed the remainder of the day’s matches had been cancelled.
A live broadcast on the ATP website showed Japan’s Hayato Matsuoka and Russia’s Daniel Ostapenkov, as well as the referee and line umpire, rushing off the court at the start of the third set.
Match officials could be heard shouting requests to leave the pitch.
“Authorities have responded to a fire caused by falling debris in an oil industrial complex in Fujairah after an air defense system successfully intercepted a drone,” the Fujairah government media office said in a statement.
Iranian drones and missiles have struck the UAE over the past three days in response to U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran.
The statement added that defense teams were still “working to contain the incident”. No injuries were reported.
The ATP told BBC Sport: “The health, safety and welfare of our players, staff and event personnel is our top priority.”
“Following consultation with local authorities and safety advisors, matches for the remainder of the day have been canceled as a precautionary measure.
“We will continue to monitor developments closely and will provide further updates as appropriate.”
