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A dramatic scene unfolded at the Madrid Open as a complete loss of power on Manolo Santana Stadium brought the match between Henry Searle Fearnley and Grigor Dimitrov to an abrupt halt. With electronic line calling, scoreboards, and stadium lighting completely down, play was initially suspended while Fearnley was serving to stay in the match, adding to the tension.
Umpires initially announced a restart, but lingering issues — including an immobile spider camera hanging dangerously low — forced a second suspension. Eventually, officials formally called off play, sending both players off the court.
The timing could not have been worse for Fearnley, who had just saved a match point and broken Dimitrov back to 4-6, 4-5, showing tremendous fight to stay alive.
The power outage extended beyond the stadium, impacting fan areas as well, especially the lower floors with limited natural light, leaving parts of the venue in near darkness.
While power disruptions during tennis events are rare, this incident was particularly striking given its totality — a full blackout affecting both players and spectators, right in the heat of a high-stakes match.
News later spread that the power outage was not restricted to the Madrid Open. The entire country’s power was out, and even people from Portugal reported the same and posted updates on social media.
The situation has also inadvertently served as a reminder of the importance of traditional lines people, as the outage rendered the fully electronic system inoperable. Fans and players now await updates on when and how the match will resume.
The camera also captured Coco Gauff's funny reaction during her post-match interview, as it was cut short after the mike lost its electricity.
As the power outage continued to disrupt play, the fans thanked their stars that it was daytime and promptly headed to the practice courts to watch the players play. The way the Caja Magica is laid out, parts of it will be chaos due to the blackout. Especially the underground bit with plenty of stairs.
Continue reading...
Umpires initially announced a restart, but lingering issues — including an immobile spider camera hanging dangerously low — forced a second suspension. Eventually, officials formally called off play, sending both players off the court.
The timing could not have been worse for Fearnley, who had just saved a match point and broken Dimitrov back to 4-6, 4-5, showing tremendous fight to stay alive.
The power outage extended beyond the stadium, impacting fan areas as well, especially the lower floors with limited natural light, leaving parts of the venue in near darkness.
While power disruptions during tennis events are rare, this incident was particularly striking given its totality — a full blackout affecting both players and spectators, right in the heat of a high-stakes match.
News later spread that the power outage was not restricted to the Madrid Open. The entire country’s power was out, and even people from Portugal reported the same and posted updates on social media.
The situation has also inadvertently served as a reminder of the importance of traditional lines people, as the outage rendered the fully electronic system inoperable. Fans and players now await updates on when and how the match will resume.
The camera also captured Coco Gauff's funny reaction during her post-match interview, as it was cut short after the mike lost its electricity.
As the power outage continued to disrupt play, the fans thanked their stars that it was daytime and promptly headed to the practice courts to watch the players play. The way the Caja Magica is laid out, parts of it will be chaos due to the blackout. Especially the underground bit with plenty of stairs.
Continue reading...
