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STORM HUNTER REVEALS 14-HOUR TRAIN ORDEAL AMID POWER OUTAGE AHEAD OF SINGLES COMEBACK


Storm Hunter watching along with doubles partner Ellen Perez during Australia's Billie Jean King Cup qualifier in Brisbane. (Getty/Chris Hyde)
Storm Hunter watching along with doubles partner Ellen Perez during Australia's Billie Jean King Cup qualifier in Brisbane. (Getty/Chris Hyde)

An unprecedented power outage impacting Spain and other parts of Europe has caused travel chaos for Australia's Storm Hunter.


Having bowed out in the second-round of doubles partnering Aussie compatriot Ellen Perez at the Madrid Open, Hunter was on her way to compete at the Catalonia Open, a WTA 125-level event.


But on Monday at midday local time, Spain, Portugal and parts of France were left without power, causing one of the biggest electrical blackouts in Europe's history and forcing Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to declare a state of emergency.


Right in the thick of it, Hunter described her ordeal on Instagram story.


"Thanks everyone for checking in - yesterday was wild. After being stuck on the train for 14 hours (with VERY limited food and water supplies, no toilets lol) - we were finally evacuated onto buses that took us to a town hall 30 (minutes) from Barcelona at 10:30pm," she wrote.


"They were not allowing any transportation into Barcelona as there was still no power, so the only option was to sleep at the town hall. Thankfully after trying for an hour to request an Uber to take us to our hotel (1 hour drive away) - we managed to get to the hotel around 12:20am.


"Ready for my first singles match in over 12 months today."


(Storm Hunter: Instagram)
(Storm Hunter: Instagram)

The 30-year-old is set to face Spain's Ruth Roura Llaverias, her first competitive singles outing since Indian Wells in March last year.


Hunter underwent surgery for a ruptured Achilles after sustaining the injury on Pat Rafter Arena during a practice session for Australia's Billie Jean King Cup qualifier against Mexico 12 months ago.


She reached a career-high world No.1 in doubles towards the end of November 2023.


Hume Tennis and Community Centre is Australia’s #1 Tennis Tournament Venue and winner of Tennis Victoria’s Club of the Year 2023, hosting over 60 events each year ranging from Hot Shots to professional tournaments, with a tournament experience for all levels. 


Known as the Tennis Paradise in Melbourne, Hume Tennis boasts 14 outdoor Plexicushion courts, a Café, and a Pro Shop—making it the perfect destination for teams and coaches travelling from interstate, with convenient accommodation available. 


Visit www.humetennis.com.au to find out more.




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