Blackout hits US sport

The NY Mets' Shea Stadium during the power cut

Massive power cuts in the eastern United States and Canada have played havoc with sporting events.

Professional baseball, basketball, tennis and horse racing were just some of the events hit by the blackout, forcing organisers to evacuate stadiums and postpone matches.

In New York, a Major League Baseball game at Shea Stadium between the Mets and the San Francisco Giants was postponed about an hour before it was scheduled to begin.

The stadium was evacuated except for a handful of Mets employees.

Power is coming back on. The clubhouse is back and some of the hotels are on USPGA managing director Kerry Haigh News story: US cities hit by power cut

In Toronto, WTA Tour tournament officials had to postpone an evening doubles match at York University.

The match between Nadia Petrova/Mary Pierce and Cara Black/Elena Likhovtseva has been rescheduled for Friday.

"In the best interest of the safety of the fans and the players we decided to postpone the last match of the evening," said Anthony Alfred, spokesman for Tennis Canada.

The final singles match of the day, between Petrova, of Russia, and Justine Henin-Hardenne, of Belgium, was able to get finished under natural light but with no electronic scoreboard.

"The lights have started to slowly come back on," said Alfred on Thursday evening.

A Canadian Football League game between the Toronto Argonauts and the Edmonton Eskimos was also called off.

The American-style football game has been rescheduled for Sunday.

Also racing cards at Yonkers Raceway and Toronto's Woodbine track were called off.

Women's basketball games between the Cleveland Rockers and the Connecticut Sun and between the Houston Comets and the New York Liberty at Madison Square Garden were also postponed.

But the blackout did not affect play at the 85th US PGA Championship in Rochester, New York.

Organisers of the tournament have no plans to postpone or delay Friday's scheduled second round despite area officials declaring a state of emergency.

"Everything is on schedule," said Kerry Haigh, managing director for the PGA of America.

"Power is coming back on. The clubhouse is back and some of the hotels are on."