Seven matches at the Cincinnati Open were all suspended at the same time on Saturday due to rain and lightning as a thunderstorm engulfed the Ohio event. Players were forced off court during their second-round contests, including seventh seed Flavio Cobolli and ninth seed Amanda Anisimova.

Tournament organisers said in a statement: “Play has been suspended due to inclement weather approaching. Please seek shelter.” At the time, Anisimova led Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez 6-2, 3-2 in her first match in Cincy while recent French Open runner-up Cobolli was 6-1, 3-2 up on Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic.

Alex Eala was another player affected as dark clouds loomed over the site. The 17th-seeded Filipino had built a 6-1, 3-0 advantage against Elena-Gabriela Ruse before being forced off court.

Other matches disrupted included Alexander Blockx’s contest against Mariano Navone, the clash between Martin Landaluce – who defeated Jack Draper in the first round – and Matteo Arnaldi, Shuai Zang against Kayla Day and Cristian Bucsa’s showdown with Maja Chwalinska.

The storm’s heavy rain left the American hard courts soaked but play eventually resumed almost an hour and a half later. Eala did not return, though, because her opponent, Ruse, retired from their match during the rain delay to gift her a walkover win.

Anisimova eventually won 6-2, 6-3 while Cobolli dropped the second set but won 6-1, 4-6, 6-2. Blockx and Chwalinska won in straight sets, while Zhang bounced back from losing her opening set to progress to the next round. Arnaldi, though, lost 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 as the 31st seed was dumped out by Landaluce.

The tournament, both a Masters 1000 and a WTA 1000, is missing several big names this year. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz headline the men’s withdrawals, with Alexander Bublik and Stefanos Tsitsipas other high-profile players missing out.

Naomi Osaka pulled out a day before the women’s draw got underway, citing fatigue, with Karolina Muchova, Victoria Mboko, Jasmine Paolini and British No.1 Emma Raducanu all withdrawing too.

The Cincinnati Open comes just two weeks before the final Grand Slam of the year, the US Open. The absence of Sinner and Alcaraz has sparked concerns the pair could also miss out on the major at Flushing Meadows.

A statement last Sunday from Wimbledon winner Sinner read: “After consulting with my doctors and my team, I have to announce that I need to withdraw from the Masters 1000 tournament in Cincinnati.

“My right knee has been bothering me and even though we have been working hard with my medical team, I have to accept that I’m not ready to compete yet.

“I’m very disappointed not to be able to play in Cincinnati and wish Bob [Moran] and his whole team a great and successful event. I can’t wait to be back next year and I’m now focusing on getting ready for the US Open.”

Alcaraz is meanwhile still building back to full health from a wrist problem that prevented him from playing at the French Open or Wimbledon. The Spanish world No.2 hasn’t competed on the ATP Tour since April 14.