Novak Djokovic’s French Open quarterfinal against Matteo Berrettini was delayed for about 22 minutes Wednesday night while thousands of spectators were cleared out of the stadium court because of an 11 p.m. coronavirus curfew.

Pandemic-related restrictions were loosened to allow 5,000 inside on Court Philippe-Chatrier rather than the 1,000 for the previous matches, and it was quite an atmosphere until the rule was imposed.

“The conditions were strange with the fans here and then the atmosphere was a bit different (afterward),” Djokovic said after winning 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 7-5 to reach his 40th Grand Slam semifinal. “You have to find a different motivation because the energy from the fans is special.”

Some disappointed fans jeered and even sang “We’ve paid, we’ll stay” as they refused to leave at 10:45 p.m. as curfew approached.

Shortly before 10:55 p.m., both players packed their bags and walked off while fans shouted out in frustration. The top-ranked Djokovic was up 2-1 in sets and leading 3-2 in the fourth when play was halted.