Pegula Battles Back Before Play Suspended
Jessica Pegula’s Cincinnati Open comeback was gaining traction — until the weather intervened. The No.4 seed had just leveled her match against Magda Linette when heavy rain and lightning forced officials to halt play on Tuesday night.
Pegula dropped a tight first set 7-6(7-5) but responded with a confident 6-3 second set. The American, runner-up here last year, looked ready to press her advantage. Instead, storms rolled in, delaying the match twice before it was ultimately abandoned for the day. She will resume her third-round battle on Wednesday, trying to avoid another upset loss ahead of her US Open title defense campaign.
Cincinnati Disruption Continues
The rain was just the latest in a string of challenges for tournament organizers. A day earlier, smoke drifted across the venue after a nearby incident, prompting fire crews to respond and a temporary power shutdown. For Pegula, the storm delay was simply an uncontrollable twist — though it did come on the heels of her public comments calling for changes to the mixed doubles format.
Wednesday’s Packed Schedule
Pegula and Linette will be first on court Wednesday, resuming just after the ATP clash between Holger Rune and Frances Tiafoe. Also postponed were WTA matches between Clara Tauson and Veronika Kudermetova, as well as two doubles contests.
Aryna Sabalenka will meet in-form Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the day session, while Ekaterina Alexandrova takes on Anna Kalinskaya in the nightcap. The winners of those singles clashes will meet in the last 16, where Jessica Pegula hopes her storm-stalled comeback will still have a place.