Poland’s Magda Linette, the 31st seed, knocked out fourth-seeded American Jessica Pegula 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-3 in third-round action of the Cincinnati Open on Wednesday in Mason, Ohio.
The match was carried over from Tuesday due to inclement weather in the area. It started Wednesday afternoon at the onset of the third set. Up 4-3 in the deciding set, Linette broke Pegula and then served out the match to advance into the Round of 16.
In her fourth career match against Pegula, it was the first time Linette won, or even took a set, off the American.
“It feels so good. I had so many tough matches on this court,” Linette said. “I lost so many three-setters. I never really got close to getting a set off her before. To me, it means so much.
“She’s such an unbelievable ballstriker and competitor. Unbelievable person off the court. I just feel this day is really special that I got the chance to beat her.”
Pegula, who advanced to her first Grand Slam final in last year’s U.S. Open, failed to advance out of the Round of 32 in the National Bank Open in Montreal or Cincinnati Open, the two lead-up events to this year’s U.S. Open, which begins Aug. 24.
In other action, No. 3 seed Iga Swiatek of Poland coasted past Romania’s Sorana Cirstea 6-4, 6-3 to become the first player to punch her ticket to the quarterfinals, She awaits the winner of an all-Russian matchup between No. 12 Ekaterina Alexandrova and No. 28 Anna Kalinskaya which was being contested later Wednesday.
Veronika Kudermetova of Russia rallied to upset No. 16 Clara Tauson of Denmark 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4. Kudermetova didn’t face a break point and lost just three service points in the deciding third set.
In night action, sixth-seeded American Madison Keys faces No. 9 seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus faces Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain, and Alexandrova and Kalinskaya face off.
-Field Level Media
