Washington Open: Pegula falls again, Top seed knocked out by Fernandez
After a first-round loss at Wimbledon, Jessica Pegula suffered another early exit — this time in Washington. The No. 1 seed was defeated in three sets by Canada’s Leylah Fernandez (6-3, 1-6, 7-5) on Thursday night.
Pegula Cincinnati 2024 – © Zuma / Psnewz
Things are not looking up for Jessica Pegula. Facing world No. 36 Leylah Fernandez under the lights of the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center, the American fell in three sets (6-3, 1-6, 7-5) after more than two hours of play, suffering her second straight loss on tour following her disappointing first-round exit at Wimbledon to Elisabetta Cocciaretto (6-2, 6-3).
Earlier this season, Pegula looked poised for another consistent year: titles in Austin and Charleston, runner-up finishes in Adelaide and Miami, and her usual steadiness inside the top 5. But since April, the wins have dried up. Her win percentage has dipped to 56% — an unconvincing number for a player of her caliber. A lackluster clay swing, an early loss on grass, and now a premature exit on home soil raise questions about her form heading into the US Open.
By contrast, Leylah Fernandez continues to build momentum. After a solid opening win over Australia’s Maya Joint (6-3, 6-3), the 22-year-old Canadian earned her first top-5 win of the season with a composed performance. She now advances to the quarter-finals, where she’ll face fellow lefty Taylor Townsend, who earlier took out Sofia Kenin.
Washington WTA 500, other second-round results (William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center, hard, USD 1.282.951, most recent results first):
- Venus Williams vs. Magdalena Frech: thursday
- Taylor Townsend beat Sofia Kenin (6): 6-3, 6-0
- Emma Raducanu beat Naomi Osaka (WC): 6-4, 6-2
- Elena Rybakina (3) beat Victoria Mboko (WC): 6-3, 7-5
- Maria Sakkari (WC) beat Emma Navarro (2): 7-5, 7-6 (1)
- Clara Tauson (4) beat Caroline Dolehide (Q): 3-6, 7-5, 6-4
- Anna Kalinskaya beat Magda Linette (8): 6-4, 6-0
