Clare Balding Explains Queen’s Power Cut During BBC Coverage
Clare Balding told viewers a localised power cut at Queen’s had hit both the tennis coverage and the automated line-calling system on 17 June 2026. The stoppage came during a second-round match and left players waiting on court before play resumed.
Francisco Cerundolo and Jenson Brooksby were halted in the second game of their Andy Murray Arena match. Chair umpire James Keothavong told the players to “stop for a few minutes” before the power issue was addressed, and the match later continued.
Queen’s Power Cut
Balding explained on air that the outage was affecting the commentary box as well as the court system. “They’ve got an issue with power. As you heard James Keovathong say, there is an issue with power on court, and also in our commentary box, a localised power cut here at Queen’s. Andrew Castle is alongside me, luckily no problems with your power,” she said.
She then pressed the practical point for viewers watching a match that uses automated line calling. “Well, line calls are now automated, there are no line judges out there, so does that mean that system isn’t working either?” That question pointed to the exact part of the setup that had gone dark, not just the broadcast itself.
Cerundolo Back Underway
After the brief delay, the players returned and Cerundolo quickly held to lead 2-0. The restart showed the match could move on once power was restored, even though the interruption had already forced a pause in live coverage.
The disruption was not the only stoppage on the day. British wildcard Arthur Fery also had to stop in the middle of his match after a nosebleed, then beat Adrian Mannarino 7-6 6-4 to reach a maiden ATP Tour quarter-final. He will now face either Cerundolo or Brooksby.
Fery Reaches Quarter-Final
Fery’s win was his third over a top-50 opponent, and it came on the same day Queen’s had to work around the power issue. For viewers, the sequence was simple enough: one court lost power, another match paused for a medical reason, and play on the day eventually carried on.
For those following the Cerundolo-Brooksby match, the important change was narrower. The on-court electronic line-calling system was the part tied to the outage, the umpire had already told the players to stop, and the match restarted once the issue eased. That left Balding’s on-air warning as the clearest guide to what had gone wrong during a disrupted afternoon at Queen’s.
