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Play at Madrid Open was been suspended due to a significant power cut that is affecting parts of Spain and Portugal.
Power cut interrupts play at Madrid Open (AP)
Play was interrupted at the Madrid Open on Monday when a power cut struck Spain’s capital city. A power cut affecting “the whole of the Iberian peninsula and part of France”, according to Portuguese electricity network operator REN, halted matches shortly after 10.30am GMT.
On Centre Court, the match between Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov and British qualifier Jacob Fearnley was suspended when the Bulgarian was leading 6-4, 5-4 with his opponent serving to stay in the match.
“The outage is preventing the use of electronic line calling systems and also left a spider cam dangling over the court inside Monolo Santana Stadium,” the ATP said on its website.
Tournament organisers said on social media they were “working to restore” power “as quickly as possible”, without giving a timetable.
Before the cut hit, American Gauff beat Belinda Bencic of Switzerland 6-4, 6-2 in the last 16.
Teenager Andreeva also progressed as she saw of Ukrainian Yuliia Starodubtseva 6-1, 6-4.
When play resumes in Madrid, Stefanos Tsitsipas will take on Lorenzo Musetti and fifth seed Jack Draper is due to play Matteo Berrettini.
World number four Coco Gauff and rising Russian star Mirra Andreeva booked their quarter-finals spots.
Gauff posted an Instagram story showing only an emergency light working in an otherwise dark locker room.
“No power where the showers are. So I’m about to take a shower and I’ll let you all know how it goes,” the American said.
Second-ranked Iga Swiatek “sat in the darkened players’ lounge, talking with members of her team,” ahead of her match against Diana Shnaider, the WTA Tour said.
Swiatek and Shnaider were scheduled to play in the main stadium after the Dimitrov-Fearnley match.
Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka was scheduled to play Peyton Stearns later.
(With inputs from Agencies)
