Amid persistent rain at the U.S. Open causing delays, Jessica Pegula swiftly advanced to the third round, taking just 56 minutes to defeat Sofia Kenin 6-3, 6-1. Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion, had previously defeated Venus Williams. Pegula expressed satisfaction at her quick victory, highlighting the rarity of finishing a match in under an hour.
Next, the No. 31 seed Leylah Fernandez secured a match against Pegula, setting up a showdown between two past U.S. Open runners-up. The winner of this match will face either No. 16 Sorana Cirstea or No. 19 Jasmine Paolini.
While some matches progressed smoothly, rain disruptions persisted, with play temporarily suspended on outside courts for the second consecutive day. Notably, matches in Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium continued without interruption.
On Ashe, No. 8 seed Ben Shelton defeated Hubert Hurkacz 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (3), 7-5, following Pegula’s victory. Meanwhile, No. 7 Daniil Medvedev overcame Sebastian Gorzny, albeit with a brief delay due to birds obstructing play on the net.
The defending champions Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz were scheduled to play their second-round matches at night, while some players were still navigating their first-round encounters.
Last year’s schedule change, commencing the U.S. Open on a Sunday, resulted in a prolonged first round spread over three days. However, inclement weather disrupted the schedule, necessitating adaptations and rescheduling of matches. Players like Alex de Minaur faced court changes but managed to secure victories, emphasizing the importance of adaptability in such situations.
Despite the challenges posed by the rain, players like Paula Badosa and Rafael Jodar demonstrated resilience in completing their matches. The tournament organizers faced the task of catching up on lost time from the previous day’s delays, with several matches being played to mitigate scheduling disruptions.
In one of the notable upsets, Alex Michelsen defeated the No. 16 seed Brandon Nakashima, while top players like Karolina Muchova and Marta Kostyuk advanced with convincing victories. The tournament continued its efforts to manage the impact of rain delays and ensure the smooth progression of matches.