The Citi Open‘s final between Alexandra Eala and Jessica Pegula was set to be a blockbuster clash. However, the weather washed away their hopes of having a high-voltage match.

The match was hampered by the weather from the start, as Washington had severe thunderstorms on Sunday. With the scheduled time for the final at 12:00 p.m. local time, there was a three-hour delay as the players had to wait for the weather to calm and the court to dry, and then start the match at 3:00 p.m. local time.

Just a few minutes into the second set, heavy rain forced the organizers to halt the match and resume it on Monday, August 3. The women’s singles final would kick off at 12:00 PM local time, followed by the men’s singles final at 1:00 PM.

The match started with both players holding serve for the opening four games. Pegula got the break of serve in the fifth game, only for Eala to break back at the next game to tie at 3-3. With Eala holding serve for a 4-3 lead, the Filipino player had a couple of break-point opportunities in the eighth game but could not convert, a turning point in the match. Having held for 4-4, Pegula broke the Eala serve once more, and then served it out to win the first set 6-4.

The second set began with the players holding serve in the first three games, with Eala leading 2-1. This is when the rain had its decisive say, with the players going off the court and set to return the next day at 12:00 pm. This is not the first time a women’s final has had to be moved to the next day in recent times, as the final between Paula Badosa and Mayar Sherif at the Iasi Open was postponed due to rain.

The Washington final between Eala and Pegula is a high-stakes match for both, but especially for Eala, who is looking for her first Tour-level title.

Alexandra Eala Is Looking for Her Maiden Tour-Level Title

Winning her maiden Tour-level title will be a huge boost for Alexandra Eala ahead of the more high-profile events in Canada and Cincinnati in the lead-up to the US Open. The Washington final is the second title clash for the Filipino player, as she reached the final in Eastbourne last year, where she lost to Maya Joint, despite having match points.

Even though her only career final before Washington came on grass, and her form in the recent grass-court season was excellent, Eala’s breakthrough was on a hard court. The Filipino player took everyone by surprise by reaching the semifinal at the Miami Open last year, and also had a decent quarterfinal run at the Dubai Tennis International this year.

More than the results, it is the opponents that Eala has been beating this season that have people taking note. The Filipino player has struggled against players who play with power from the baseline, which nullifies her off-pace serve and slices. However, at the Citi DC Open, she has gotten the better of players like Elina Svitolina and Naomi Osaka, who fit the profile of players Eala usually struggles. Not to forget, Eala had massive wins over the likes of Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina during the grass-court season.

With the match against Pegula starting from the current scoreline, Eala’s best chance of victory is to get a break early in the second set, as the American’s serve might be rusty as she has to start afresh. There is also added motivation for Eala, as if she manages the comeback, she will make her Top-20 debut on the WTA Rankings.