The India Open Super 750 continued to court controversy on Saturday, January 17 as play was halted once again, this time during the women’s doubles semifinal between China’s Liu Shengshu–Tan Ning and South Korea’s Baek Ha Na–Lee So Hee.

With the Chinese pair leading 6–3 in the opening game, officials were forced to stop the match after debris fell onto the court from above. Play was paused as tournament staff inspected and cleaned the affected area, adding to a growing list of unusual interruptions at the event.

Initial speculation suggested that bird droppings had landed on the playing surface, similar to an incident earlier in the week. However, tournament officials later clarified that the disruption was caused by material falling from a bird’s nest located near the ceiling of the arena.

“It was not bird droppings. Some material from a bird’s nest fell onto the court,” an official told the Indian Express, seeking to clear the confusion surrounding the stoppage.

The incident has further fuelled criticism of the playing conditions at the Delhi venue. On Thursday, a men’s singles pre-quarterfinal between India’s HS Prannoy and Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew had been interrupted twice after bird droppings landed on the court, drawing sharp reactions from players and fans alike.

With repeated stoppages linked to birds inside the arena, questions continue to be raised about venue preparedness and matchday conditions at one of the BWF World Tour’s premier events.

Earlier on Friday, January 16, Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt had doubled down on her criticism of the tournament, once again calling out the poor playing conditions.

Blichfeldt, who had raised concerns about the tournament last year as well, had earlier complained about hygiene issues inside the arena, claiming there were bird droppings in the training area at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall. Since her remarks, several players have spoken out about the conditions at the Delhi venue.