RAIN and lightning disrupted play at the ATP and WTA Cincinnati Open, leaving key matches unfinished.
Alexander Zverev was leading Brandon Nakashima 6-4, 5-4 when the weather forced a stoppage.
Jessica Pegula was locked in a battle with Magda Linette, trailing 7-6 (7/5) but winning the second set 6-3 before the delay.
Toronto champion Ben Shelton’s match against Roberto Bautista Agut was postponed entirely due to the storm.
Carlos Alcaraz avoided the chaos, defeating Hamad Medjedovic 6-4, 6-4 earlier in the day.
“Medjedovic doesn’t like to run that much, so I tried to move him around as much as possible,“ Alcaraz said.
The Spaniard now has 13 consecutive Masters 1000 wins and 50 victories this season.
He will face Luca Nardi in the quarter-finals after the Italian’s opponent, Jakob Mensik, retired mid-match.
“I was really happy to get the win in a very difficult match,“ Alcaraz added.
Karen Khachanov secured a 6-3, 6-3 win over Jenson Brooksby in another completed match.
Francisco Comesana edged Reilly Opelka in a gruelling three-setter, saving three match points.
Opelka required medical attention for dizziness and high blood pressure before losing 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 7-5.
Comesana will next face Andrey Rublev, who overcame Alexei Popyrin in a tight three-set battle.
In the WTA draw, Coco Gauff advanced without playing as Dayana Yastremska withdrew due to illness.
Jasmine Paolini and Ella Seidel also progressed with straight-set victories.
Barbora Krejcikova defeated Iva Jovic in three sets to reach the next round.
The tournament continues with rescheduled matches as players adjust to the disrupted schedule. - AFP
