Tennis: Washington final delayed due to inclement weather

Heavy rain and thunderstorms postponed the DC Open men's and women's singles finals to Monday. Jessica Pegula leads Alexandra Eala in the interrupted women's final, while Taylor Fritz and Rafael Jodar are yet to begin their men's title clash

Washington: The DC Open men’s and women’s singles finals have been suspended until Monday evening (as per IST) 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 pm 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 pm. Precipitation resumed midway through the second set, and play was suspended at 3:57:43 pm. They did not go back out on court, and play was officially postponed at 9:06 p.m.

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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.