In an unexpected turn of events, the Cincinnati Open faced a dramatic halt as a local power outage forced the suspension of matches on Monday. Broadcast channels worldwide went dark just after 5 PM local time, leaving fans without live action from the courts.

The outage impacted the electronic line calling system used throughout ATP Tour events, making it impossible for officials to continue play effectively. At the time of the disruption, Taylor Fritz was on the verge of closing out the first set against Lorenzo Sonego, while Benjamin Bonzi was staging a spirited comeback against Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Initially, matches continued without television coverage, but organizers quickly realized the necessary systems were offline. The tournament's official Twitter account broke the news, stating: “Due to an on-site power outage, play is currently suspended.” Fortunately, play resumed shortly after 6:30 PM.

Tennis commentator Gigi Salmon reported on Sky Sports, updating viewers about the situation before matches were completely paused. "Welcome back to the Cincinnati Open, where unfortunately play is currently suspended due to a local power outage which affected our broadcast feed," she informed fans.

Salmon highlighted the tense moments leading up to the shutdown: "In that brief period, Taylor Fritz secured his first set on a tiebreak against Lorenzo Sonego, while Benjamin Bonzi made strides after dropping the first set to Stefanos Tsitsipas, reaching 5-2 in the second set before the outage occurred." The commentator also reminisced about the Madrid Open earlier in the season, which had faced similar blackouts.

US broadcaster Tennis Channel echoed the announcement, urging fans to stay tuned for updates. This is not the first time a major tennis tournament has grappled with such issues; earlier this season, the Madrid Open was likewise forced to suspend play due to a nationwide power cut.

Day five of the Cincinnati Open still holds plenty of high-stakes matches. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner is slated to perform in the evening session, with top players like Elena Rybakina, Madison Keys, and Joao Fonseca yet to take the stage.

Earlier in the day, Emma Raducanu endured a nail-biting match against Aryna Sabalenka, ultimately falling 7-6, 4-6, 7-6 after a grueling three hours and nine minutes, well before the power outage struck.

For those eager to stay updated on tennis news, consider joining the tournament's WhatsApp community or newsletter!