BNP Paribas Open: American Jessica Pegula falls to Elina Svitolina after three-hour rain delay

Yahoo

12-03-2025

One of three American women left at the BNP Paribas Open, No. 4 seed Jessica Pegula was ousted Tuesday by No. 23 seed Elina Svitolina in a back-and-forth match that was delayed for three hours due to rain.
The comeback win for Svitolina came after the Ukrainian lost the first set 7-5 to Pegula. She then stormed back, comfortably winning the second set 6-1. After one game in the third set, the match was paused due to steady rain in Indian Wells.
Pegula struggled once play resumed three hours later, hitting the net on several shots and slapping her racquet in frustration on one missed shot. She won just two of the final seven games in the third set, losing 6-2.
Svitolina's serve offered a mixed bag of results. She had five aces, but also seven double faults, mainly in the first two sets. During her post-match interview, Svitolina said she wanted to regroup after missing some opportunities in the first set.
"I got a little bit angry, a little bit fired up in that second set and tried to play better tennis," said Svitolina, who advanced to her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal since 2021. 'I'm really happy with the way I was able to stay composed, even after the rain delay.'
Svitolina, who mentioned a foot surgery she underwent last fall that posed a challenge, also drew courtside support from her spouse and fellow pro tennis player Gaël Monfils, a Frenchman who was defeated by Grigor Dimitrov in grueling three-set nailbiter Monday night.
Svitolina attended the late-night match, and when asked who takes care of their child the next morning, she gave credit to her mom and the family's nanny.
With the loss Tuesday, Pegula saw her seven-game win streak snapped, after she won her seventh career title last week at the ATX Open in Austin, Texas.
Svitolina now advances to the quarterfinals — marking her best run at the tournament since she advanced to the semifinals in 2019 — where she will play No. 9 seed Mirra Andreeva, who defeated No. 7 seed Elena Rybakina 6-1, 6-2.
With Pegula's elimination, just two American women — No. 3 seed Coco Gauff and No. 5 seed Madison Keys — remained in the tournament, with both of them scheduled to play in the Round of 16 on Wednesday.
Tom Coulter is a reporter for The Desert Sun. Reach him at [e-mail].
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: BNP Paribas Open: American Jessica Pegula loses to Elina Svitolina