Bencic beats Pera in Madrid after stadium goes dark

After falling in her last three matches that went the distance, Belinda Bencic managed to erase a set deficit and fight her way to an extremely tight 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (5) victory over Bernarda Pera in Madrid—though not without an unexpected plot twist near the finish line.

Trailing 2-3 in the final-set tiebreaker, Bencic walked towards the baseline, and the stadium lights turned off.

Before the arena went black, Pera trailed 2-0 in the tiebreaker, but claimed the next three points. It may have seemed like a small stoppage in play, but the unexpected can often result in momentum shifts for players in an extremely mental game. From that point on, Bencic bounced back, and was lights out.

The world No. 11 will contest a spot in the 1000-level event's quarterfinals against Ons Jabeur. The round-of-16 clash marks their first career meeting.