Tennis: Washington final delayed due to inclement weather
Washington, Aug 3
The DC Open men's and women's singles finals have been suspended until Monday evening because of the significant weather in the Washington DC area.
The women's singles final between World No. 3 Jessica Pegula and No. 28 Alexandra Eala was originally scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. local time on Sunday, but the weather forced the match to be suspended. The two players will return to the court at 9:30 p.m. IST on Monday.
Due to scattered thunderstorms, the players did not go on court until approximately 3 p.m. Precipitation resumed midway through the second set, and play was suspended at 3:57:43 p.m. They did not go back out on court, and play was officially postponed at 9:06 p.m.
Pegula currently leads 6-4, 1-2 at the second changeover of the second set, and she will serve upon resumption.
Eala is pursuing her first career WTA Tour title, while Pegula is seeking her second Washington DC title (2019) and 12th overall.
On the other hand, the men's singles final between Taylor Fritz and Rafael Jodar has been postponed to Monday evening, not before 1 p.m. (local time) due to rain.
The organisers said, "Sunday tickets will be honoured for Monday's finals. We are also offering an additional 1,000 tickets for tennis fans to come and watch the matches to provide the best atmosphere possible. More ticketing and parking information to come soon.
The third-seeded Fritz and 19-year-old star Jodar each earned three-set semi-final wins Saturday and were set for a Sunday afternoon final, but rain in Washington did not allow the match to begin.
It will mark the second ATP Head2Head series meeting between Fritz and Jodar. The American won their first clash earlier this year in Delray Beach, earning a 7-6(4), 6-4 victory.
Fritz is aiming for his first ATP Tour title of the season while Jodar is seeking his second, having triumphed in Marrakech.
The Spanish teen has already ensured he will rise to a career-high World No. 15 even if he falls to Fritz in the title clash. With a triumph, Jodar would surge to World No. 12.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As an Indian fan, the 9:30 PM IST timing on Monday is perfect for us! We'll get to watch Pegula and Eala battle it out without having to stay up till 3 AM. Looking forward to seeing if Eala can pull off her first WTA title - she's been playing brilliantly this tournament.
Rain delays are part of tennis, happens in every country. The organisers handled this well by announcing the reschedule quickly. But I do wish they'd considered the players' recovery time - playing on Monday after a Sunday rainout means extra rest for everyone, actually. That's fair to both finalists.
Jessica Pegula is such a consistent player, but Alexandra Eala could surprise everyone. At 28th rank, she's underrated. Also, Rafael Jodar at 19 years old aiming for World No. 12? That's incredible - Spain keeps producing amazing tennis talent! 🇪🇸
This shows professionalism from the DC Open organisers - offering extra tickets is a smart move to keep the atmosphere electric. But one small criticism: they should have scheduled the matches keeping weather forecasts in mind. D.C. in August is always risky, so starting earlier in the day would have been better planning.
It's a bit frustrating for fans who planned their Sunday around the finals, but there's nothing anyone can do about the weather. At least the organisers are being generous with the extra tickets and honouring Sunday tickets. Hopefully Monday brings clear skies for some great tennis!
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