The Star Online: Sports

NEW HAVEN, Connecticut (AP): Play was stopped and the venue evacuated at the New Haven Open on Tuesday after an earthquake that originated in Virginia shook the stadium on the Yale campus, sending fans bolting to the aisles and delaying play for more than two hours."I never had experienced that before," Vesnina said."It was so weird.On the court, we didn't feel anything, but I saw the upper level, and it was shaking.I said, 'Oh, my God, what is going to happen?' I was really scared."

The 5.8-magnitude earthquake centered northwest of Richmond, Virginia, shook much of Washington D.C., and was felt as far north as Rhode Island and New York City.

After evacuating more than 4,000 people from the stadium, New Haven's fire marshal and building inspector checked the structure for damage and declared it structurally sound.

Play resumed at 4:15 p.m.when chair umpire Sandie French said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the resumption of play of a match suspended because of an earthquake." Fans in the stands chuckled, and Vesnina then prepared to serve.

Vesnina was leading 2-0 when the quake hit and went to win 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

"It turned out to be just like a two-hour rain delay," said tournament director Anne Worcester.When the quake struck, fans weren't quite sure what to make of it.

Bob Pallaziolla, from Danvers, Ma*sachusetts, said he thought there might have been a crash outside the stadium.

"Then there was another shake, and another shake and I realize it was an earthquake," he said."It wasn't a truck that hit the stadium or somebody underneath us.It was actually an earthquake.The stadium cleared pretty quickly.Within five seconds people were running."

Gerard Murphy, 69, from Guilford, Connecticut, was sitting on a deck in a hospitality suite at the time.He felt the movement and thought perhaps youngsters were shaking the deck.

"Then I looked down at the fans in the seats in front of me and they were all leaving their seats and rushing up the aisle," he said."I asked the girl for a beer on the way out."In the boys' event, last year's overall category runners-up Jeremiah Kim will lead the Malaysian challenge while Isza Fariza Ismail will be tasked with winning the girls' title in the absence of Kelly who has opted out due to a hectic schedule.Sarah is bidding to become the first golfer in the tournament's history to retain the overall crown.
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