Magda Linette deals Jessica Pegula fourth loss in six matches by taking postponed Cincinnati clash

During last year’s North American hard-court summer swing, Jessica Pegula went 15-2 in a stretch that saw the Buffalo, N.Y. native contest her first Grand Slam singles final at the US Open.

Things look a whole lot different for the world No. 4 going into her home major 12 months later. A year after winning the National Bank Open and finishing runner-up at the Cincinnati Open, Pegula has gone just 2-2 in her return to those events.

In a match carried over from Tuesday due to thunderstorms in the Cincinnati area, Magda Linette emerged victorious.

With a fresh third set to start, the No. 31 seed shook off a pair of early double faults to hold, then secured the lone break of the decider in the eighth game to prevail, 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-3. The 33-year-old saved all three break points she faced during the set that was played out Wednesday.

For Linette, both of her Top 10 wins this season have come against Americans ranked inside the Top 5. She previously took down then No. 3 Coco Gauff in the fourth round of the Miami Open to equal her best career WTA 1000 result. The Pole can do the same this week if she advances past the winner of 16th seed Clara Tauson and Veronika Kudermetova.

Since triumphing at the grass-court tournament in Bad Homburg, Pegula has dropped four of six matches. Countrywoman Madison Keys, this year’s Australian Open champion, can overtake her for the No. 4 seed at the US Open with a deep run at the Linder Family Tennis Center.