MADRID (AP) — Power was restored at the Caja Magica tennis complex Tuesday and the Madrid Open resumed with a packed schedule following a day in which 22 matches had to be postponed.
After a major blackout, most parts of Madrid regained power Monday night but organizers said the Caja Magica was still without electricity early Tuesday, prompting a delay in the opening of the gates for fans.
But the power came back quickly, and organizers did not have to alter the day’s schedule of matches.
There were huge lines outside the complex, and people with tickets for Monday's matches were not allowed back in. Organizers were yet to say how those ticket holders would be compensated.
“Nobody said anything yet,” said Juan Duato, who was denied entry when he arrived on Monday during the power outage. “They said we couldn't come in and asked us to contact customer support. Apparently they will send us an email.”
Fans already inside were asked to leave the Caja Magica a few hours after the outage happened shortly after 12:30 p.m. local time (1030 GMT) on Monday. Organizers said they wanted to “guarantee the safety of the players, fans and personnel.”
Two ATP singles matches and one doubles match were underway at the time.
Tuesday's schedule included second-ranked Alexander Zverev facing Francisco Cerundolo. On the women's side, the remaining six fourth-round matches were scheduled, including top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka facing Peyton Stearns and second-ranked Iga Swiatek taking on Diana Shnaider.
The blackout brought much of Spain and Portugal to a standstill, knocking out subway networks, phone lines, traffic lights and ATM machines.
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Tales Azzoni, The Associated Press
