An electrifying evening at the Cincinnati Open took an unexpected turn when lightning storms brought matches to a standstill, leaving top seeds Alexander Zverev and Jessica Pegula unable to finish their games on Tuesday night.
Zverev, the men’s third seed, was just one service game away from victory over American Brandon Nakashima when officials cleared the Lindner Family Tennis Center courts for safety. The German was leading 6-4, 5-4 and preparing to serve for the win when the weather disruption struck.
Over on the women’s side, third seed Jessica Pegula was battling Poland’s Magda Linette in a tense third-round clash. After losing a close first set 7-6 (7/5), Pegula came back strong to win the second set 6-3, only for play to be suspended due to the dangerous conditions.
The storm intensified with lightning flashes followed by heavy rain, prompting tournament organizers to cancel all remaining matches for the night. This also meant American Ben Shelton, fresh off his Toronto triumph, never stepped on court for his scheduled match against Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut.
Alcaraz Dominates in Day Session
Earlier in the day, world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz cruised through scorching 32°C temperatures to defeat Serbia’s Hamad Medjedovic 6-4, 6-4 in just 95 minutes, marking his 50th win of the 2025 season. The Spaniard now boasts a 13-match winning streak at Masters 1000 events this year and will next face Italy’s Luca Nardi, who advanced after Czech teenager Jakub Mensik retired due to injury.
Preparing for the US Open, Alcaraz emphasized mental resilience: “Not every day you feel your best. The key is staying positive and finding ways to win. I’m proud of how I handled the conditions.”
Gauff Moves Forward Without Playing
Defending champion Coco Gauff advanced to the fourth round without taking the court after her opponent Dayana Yastremska withdrew due to illness. The reigning US Open champion will face either Jelena Ostapenko or Lucia Bronzetti next. “It’s never ideal to advance this way,” Gauff said. “I hope Dayana recovers quickly. I’m ready to get back out there and keep improving my game.”