Wind, different balls and “Cotton Eye Joe”: Pegula survives it all in Montreal win over Swiatek

As if beating the world No 1 isn’t difficult enough in itself, Jessica Pegula had plenty of adversity to deal with in the semi-finals of the National Bank Open on Saturday afternoon.

Pegula persevered through adverse conditions and a bizarre musical interruption to upset Iga Swiatek 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-4 after two hours and 30 minutes. The fourth seed secured a spot in the WTA Montreal 1000 championship match alongside either Elena Rybakina or Liudmila Samsonova.

But it was not without difficulty.

“Cotton Eye Joe” interrupts second-set tiebreaker

With Pegula leading by a set and ahead 4-3 in the second-set tiebreaker, “Cotton Eye Joe” suddenly began playing on the sound system in the middle of a point. The American had just struck a very effective lob, so she was arguably in control of the rally when a let was called.

Pegula ended up losing that point — and every other point in the tiebreaker to drop it seven points to four.

In fact, the world No 3 ended up losing 12 points in a row following the “Cotton Eye Joe” incident. She did not win another point until she trailed 2-0 in the third set.

“I just thought it was funny,” Pegula reflected. “I’ve never had that happen, let alone with ‘Cotton Eye Joe.’ I was, like, ‘is this really happening right now?’ Of all the songs. It was just like, ‘what is going on?’

“Yeah, it was a bummer because I hit a really good lob and she barely got it, and I had a really good play on the ball and she was kind of out of position from the lob that I hit. I don’t know if I would have won the point. Maybe. I would have been up 5-2, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to win the tiebreaker.”

Pegula recovers from a break down in the third

Wind was a factor on Saturday, as well, and extra duty balls have been throwing a wrinkle into the tennis equation throughout the week. Nonetheless, Pegula has overcome it all to earn a place on final Sunday. She did it by erasing that 2-0 deficit early in the decider against Swiatek.

“It feels like the conditions, it’s flying a little bit — it’s swirling,” she said following a semi-final showdown against Swiatek that included a ridiculous 19 breaks of serve. “I know it’s also the first week we’re playing with the Wilson extra duty balls, which are usually what the men play with. So that’s the first time we’re testing that out, this week, next week, and through the US Open.

“I think they’re a little bit heavier, so they’re not quite coming off the racket as well or maybe we’re not used to it, so I think maybe that’s why (there were so many service breaks).” Also, it’s just a change in the balls.”

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