American Jessica Pegula stormed into the US Open quarter-finals on a holiday Monday on a day when the Hawkeye electronic linecalling system around the grounds went down for a brief outage.
Officials blamed a fire alarm which went off in a building for bringing down the entire electronic spider’s web which makes every line call on every court using algorithms and artificial intelligence.
Order was restored after five minutes or so in mid-afternoon, with the incident perhaps serving as a warning about the reliability perils of the delicate systems on which modern tennis relies.
On court, Pegula dispatched former college player Diana Shnaider 6-4, 6-2 before all the drama.
The New York winner joined compatriot Emma Navarro in the last eight at the home major. Pegula will be playing her seventh Grand Slam quarter and her second here.
The sixth seed sealed the win after leading a double break in the second set and finishing with an ace to move through.
Pegula has won 13 of her last 14 matches with a red-hot August which included the Toronto title and the Cincinnati final against Aryna Sabalenka.
“It was tight in the fist set, this is the first time I’ve played here in the day and in the heat,” the winner said.
“I’ve been returning really well and also need to keep holding my serve.
‘There is more pressure here this year since i did so well coming in. “But I felt my best in the win today.
“I want to bring my best tennis to the later rounds. I like the pressure and the home support.”
Double 2024 Grand Slam finalist Jasmine Paoline met the end of her season hot streak as she took a 6-3, 6-3 fourth-round loss to revitalised Czech Karolina Muchova.
The fifth-seeded Italian who finished runner-up at Roland Garros and Wimbledon in recent months, committed 16 unforced errors with only 10 winners to show.
Muchova is back from injury and making up for lost time; she defeated the seed in 69 minutes to reach the quarter-finals.
“I’m very happy to win again in two sets. It was a very tricky, tough match – I was actually a little bit nervous today,” Muchova said.
“It was kind of a weird match. I had a weird feeling in my body the whole match, but yeah, I’m glad that I won.”
Despite her defeat, Paolini still ends the 2024 Grand Slam season with 18 match wins at the majors, a figure which will not be overtaken – only tied if Iga Swiatek or Aryna Sabalenka win the women’s trophy on Saturday
The Czech will play for the semi-finals against Beatriz Haddad Maia, who knocked out two-time finalist Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
Wozniacki saved two match points in a 12-minute game before her opponent claimed victory after two and three-quarter hours.
“When I started as a pro she was already on the top. I was a el to focus in a very tough battle.”
The South American is the second from Brazil to get this far at the Open, along with Maria Bueno in 1968.
She is also the first left-handed player from her continent to play a New York last-eight match.
