An evening of excessive drama and unpredictable Midwest climate introduced play to a halt on the Cincinnati Open on Tuesday, with each Alexander Zverev and Jessica Pegula left stranded mid-match as lightning pressured a suspension of night play.
Zverev, the boys’s third seed, was on the verge of victory towards American Brandon Nakashima when officers ordered gamers off courtroom as a result of lightning within the space. The German was main 6-4, 5-4 and about to serve for the match when the interruption got here.
In a near-identical state of affairs, ladies’s third seed Jessica Pegula was constructing momentum in her third-round match towards Poland’s Magda Linette. After dropping the opening set in a good tiebreak 7-6 (7/5), Pegula responded by taking the second set 6-3 earlier than play was suspended.
The night storm, which included flashes of lightning and finally heavy rain, pressured event officers to cancel all remaining matches for the evening. Amongst these affected was American Ben Shelton, recent off his Toronto title, who by no means made it onto the courtroom for his match towards Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut.
Alcaraz Cruises within the Warmth
Earlier within the day, world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz made gentle work of the searing 32°C warmth to turn out to be the primary participant to e book a spot within the fourth spherical. The Spaniard dispatched Serbia’s Hamad Medjedovic 6-4, 6-4 in 95 minutes to notch his fiftieth win of the season.
“Medjedovic would not wish to run that a lot, so I attempted to maneuver him round,” Alcaraz defined. “But it surely wasn’t straightforward. The ball was flying, and he was hitting it so quick.”
Alcaraz now boasts 13 straight wins on the Masters 1000 stage in 2025 as he continues his chase of top-ranked Jannik Sinner. He’ll face Italy’s Luca Nardi subsequent, after the Italian superior previous Czech teenager Jakub Mensik, who retired injured at 2-6, 1-2.
Making ready for the US Open, Alcaraz added: “Not day-after-day you’re feeling your greatest. The bottom line is staying constructive and discovering methods to win. I’m happy with how I managed as we speak’s circumstances.”
Gauff Advances With out Taking part in
Within the ladies’s draw, defending champion Coco Gauff superior to the fourth spherical with out hitting a ball. Her opponent, Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska, withdrew forward of their scheduled match as a result of sickness.
Gauff, who adopted her 2023 Cincinnati title with a maiden Grand Slam win on the US Open, will face both Jelena Ostapenko or Lucia Bronzetti within the subsequent spherical.
“It’s by no means supreme to undergo like this,” Gauff mentioned. “I hope Dayana feels higher quickly. I’m excited to get again on courtroom and preserve constructing my stage.”
