Andreeva, Gauff outrun the dark in Madrid

MADRID — Mirra Andreeva was serving for the match when the power went out early Monday afternoon.

“It was 15-40 on my serve,” Andreeva later told reporters. “I was like, `Oh, Mirra, please — please — do everything in your power to take this game and finish the match. Because I knew that if it would go to 5-5 probably we would have to wait and I would be here yet.”

Madrid: Draws | Scores | Order of play

Coco Gauff had already closed out Belinda Bencic 6-4, 6-2 and was in the midst of her on-court interview when the microphone died. Security quickly ushered her back to the players’ lounge.

“It was pitch-black, and I got the gist that the power went out,” Gauff said. “I thought it was just us and then I realized it was the whole country — that’s just insane.”

Not just all of Spain, as it turned out, but much of Europe, affecting many millions. Initially, the cause was unknown but early reports cited issues with the European electric grid.

As a result, Andreeva — eventually a 6-1, 6-4 winner over Yuliia Starodubtseva with the chair umpire calling the lines — and Gauff were the only players to advance to the quarterfinals at the Mutua Madrid Open on schedule. They will play each other later in the week.

“Last time I faced her on clay was Roland Garros 2023,” Andreeva said. “The first set was tight, but the rest of the match was like ehhh. She didn’t give me a chance. But it was two years ago, so I’m just super excited to not take revenge but to see how different I play. I think it’s going to be an entertaining match.”

Andreeva is through to the quarterfinals for the second straight year.

“This year, going to try to advance further,” she said. “I’m going to do everything possible to win this.”

While chaos reigned outside the site — the internet, rail systems and airports were all shut down — there was a sense of community, driven by their shared experience, among the players.

“Everyone is using the phones with flashlights,” Andreeva said, “but it’s also kind of fun because everyone is talking together, the atmosphere is a little bit more friendly.”

Said Gauff, “I was literally thinking the same thing. Most of the time we’re trying to prepare for our matches, everyone’s zoned in and we all understand that, I was talking to Frances [Tiafoe]talking to Mirra, too, Diana [Shnaider]Maddy [Keys].

“This is the type of situation, it’s light-hearted, nobody knows when they’re going to go on.”

“This is my first blackout,” said Andreeva, who was happy to have a book and some Uno cards to pass the time. “It’s actually kind of exciting because I’ve never experienced anything like this. I’m super happy that they put me first so I got to finish everything on time.

“But I don’t want to spend the night here and sleep in the gym, but we’re going to see what they tell us and just go from there.”

Not everyone was so lucky. Grigor Dimitrov was serving for the match in Manolo Santana Stadium against qualifier Jacob Fearnley when play was suspended.

“That’s tennis, that’s life,” Gauff said. “I feel like at this point this is only a situation you can laugh at if I was on court. Because it’s probably not going to happen ever again and we’ll always remember the day the power went out at Madrid Open.”

On Sunday, Gauff requested the schedulers to place her match second in the order of play.

“But I’m glad that request didn’t go through,” she said, laughing. “Shoutout to the WTA supervisors for making the right decision for me.”

The greatest hardship at that early juncture, she said, was the inability to take a post-match shower.

“There’s no running water so I just had to take baby wipes and wipe myself,” Gauff explained, “and spray some perfume and call it a day. I don’t think we’re even going to be able to go back to the hotel because the traffic lights are out.

“It’s just crazy how much we depend on electricity, it’s really insane and puts it in perspective. Also makes me think about the humans before electricity and how impressive that is.”