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SPORTS Tuesday 3 sepTember 2024
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U.S. Open: Jessica Pegula reaches her 7th Grand Slam

quarterfinal. She is 0-6 at that stage so far

By HOWARD FENDRICH losing to No. 1 Iga Swiatek,
AP Tennis Writer who went on to win one
NEW YORK (AP) — Jessica of her five major champi-
Pegula is back in the quar- onships. There could be
terfinals at the U.S. Open another meeting against
after a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Swiatek looming: Pegula
Diana Shnaider on Mon- next faces the winner of
day, her seventh trip to Monday night’s match be-
that round at a Grand Slam tween Swiatek and No. 16
tournament. Now comes Liudmila Samsonova.
the hard part: Pegula is 0-6 Three of Pegula’s six quar-
in major quarterfinals over terfinal exits at Slams came
her career. against a No. 1 player Swi-
The No. 6-seeded Pegula, atek twice and Ash Barty
an American whose par- once.
ents own the NFL’s Buffalo Asked during her on-court
Bills and NHL’s Buffalo Sa- interview in Arthur Ashe
bres, is on quite a run at the Stadium what she needs
moment, having won 13 of to do to get to the semifi-
her past 14 matches, all on nals this time, Pegula joked:
hard courts. That included “I always say I just need to
her second consecutive win the match to get to the
title in Canada and an ap- semis, and then that’ll solve
pearance in the final at the everything, right?”
Cincinnati Open, where Jessica Pegula, of the United States, returns a shot during a match against Daria Snigur, of Ukraine, She continued: “Listen, it
she lost to No. 2 Aryna Sa- in the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, in New York. doesn’t really matter to
balenka. Associated Press me. I mean, every match
“I feel like there’s been is every match. I’ve always
more pressure this year, be- the semifinals in New York, No. 3 this year and was unbelievable career the played it like that. It just so
cause I did so well coming before needing surgery on eliminated Sunday by No. guy’s had. Just an icon of happens to be (the) quar-
into this tournament,” the her right wrist in October, 13 Emma Navarro. the game. I miss him in the terfinals, but at the same
30-year-old Pegula said. “I sidelining her for 10 months. In men’s action Monday, change rooms. I miss being time, to be able to say I’ve
want to keep working my “This was my worst and No. 25 Jack Draper be- next to his stinky shoes and been in that position many,
way and hopefully bringing most serious injury, I would came the first British man all his stinky clothes,” said many times is great. So I just
my best tennis for the later say. But, I mean, I love the to reach the quarterfinals Draper, who’ll take on No. have to keep putting my-
rounds this time.” sport, so in my head, I was in New York since the re- 10 Alex de Minaur or Jordan self there and keep trying
Also returning to the quar- like, ‘I will do everything I cently retired Andy Murray Thompson, two Australians to play my game.”
terfinals was Karolina could to (get) better and did it in 2016. Draper, who scheduled to play each That game worked quite
Muchova, a 6-3, 6-3 winner try.’ And here I am today,” exited in the fourth round a other Monday. “Andy’s a well against the 18th-seed-
over No. 5 Jasmine Paolini, said Muchova, whose U.S. year ago, will appear in his legend, and if I have half ed Shnaider, a 20-year-old
the runner-up at the French Open ended a year ago first Slam quarterfinal thanks the career he had, then I’ll Russian who played one
Open and Wimbledon this with a loss to eventual to a 6-3, 6-1, 6-2 win against be a happy man.” season of college tennis at
season. Muchova enjoyed champion Coco Gauff. unseeded Tomas Machac. Pegula made it to the quar- NC State and won a silver
a breakthrough 2023, get- “I’m just a really happy kid “I obviously miss Andy. terfinals at Flushing Mead- medal in women’s doubles
ting to the final in Paris and now.” Gauff was seeded Shoutout to Andy. What an ows two years ago, before at the Paris Olympics.q
U.S. Open action is delayed when a fire alarm shuts down the

electronic line-calling system

NEW YORK (AP) — Play in plaining the delay. Medve- A similar scene happened
2021 champion Daniil Med- dev took the first two sets across the way at Louis
vedev’s U.S. Open match against Nuno Borges and Armstrong Stadium, where

in Arthur Ashe Stadium they were at 2-1 in the third Beatriz Haddad Maia was
and at all contests on other set of their fourth-round serving for the first set of her
courts, too was delayed match when chair umpire match against 2018 Austra-
for six minutes Monday Nacho Forcadell told them lian Open champion Caro-
when the tournament’s they needed to stop. line Wozniacki when chair
electronic line-calling sys- “Ladies and gentlemen, umpire Marijana Veljovic
tem stopped working be- due to a technical difficul- informed the players, then
cause the building where ty with the electronic line- the spectators, there was
it’s housed was evacuated calling system, we have a glitch with the automatic
due to a fire alarm. paused the match,” For- system that makes in and
“Following the determina- cadell announced to the out line calls.
tion that this was only an crowd in Ashe. There were a total of 15
alarm, play was resumed,” Medvedev wound up fin- matches in progress at Daniil Medvedev, of Russia, serves during a match against Nuno
the U.S. Tennis Association ishing off his 6-0, 6-1, 6-3 the time. Eventually, all Borges, of Portugal, in the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis
said in a statement ex- victory. resumed.q championships, Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, in New York.
Associated Press