“Where did you come from …?”
Tennis fans at the Canadian Open were left scratching their head as Rednex’s iconic 1994 hit single ‘Cotton Eye Joe’ started blaring from the speakers during Saturday’s semi-final between world’s No. 1 Iga Swiatek and America’s Jessica Pegula.
During the tie-break of the second set in Montreal, Pegula attempted a lofted backhand only for the point to be interrupted by the country anthem’s unmistakeable lyrics, which inexplicably started echoing around Centre Court.
“If it hadn‘t been for Cotton-Eye Joe, I‘d been married long time ago …”
Chair umpire Marija Cicak called for the point to be replayed, with commentators and patrons left utterly bemused.
Pegula lost four consecutive points after the bizarre delay, with Swiatek clinching the second set. However, the American ultimately prevailed 6-2, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4 to book her spot in the final.
Fourth-seed Pegula took advantage of an error-strewn display by Poland’s Swiatek to secure victory in two and a half hours.
But heavy rain over the Montreal region washed out Saturday’s second semi-final between third seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan and 15th seed Liudmila Samsonova.
Rybakina or Samsonova will now face a gruelling double-header on Sunday with a well-rested Pegula awaiting in the final.
“It feels great,” Pegula said after her win over Swiatek.
“No better way to earn it, right? It was tough match. I felt like I was in control.
“But as the world number one does and a champion, she played some really great tennis at the end of the second set and in the third. So, she made me earn it.”
Reigning French and US Open champion Swiatek, meanwhile, was left reflecting on a scratchy display that saw her suffer no fewer than 11 breaks of serve.
A jittery first set opened with five straight breaks of serve before Pegula finally managed to hold to take a 4-2 lead.
Swiatek continued to struggle with her serve in the next game, and Pegula was soon 0-40 up.
Although Swiatek fought back to level at deuce, she was soon in trouble again, yanking a forehand wide at break-point down to give Pegula a 5-2 lead. Pegula then served out for the set, taking a 1-0 lead with an emphatic ace down the middle.
Pegula threatened to wrap up victory quickly in the second set, serving for the match at 5-4 only to drop serve before Swiatek went on to force the tie-break.
Pegula had Swiatek under pressure in the breaker, taking a 4-2 lead, before the world number one rattled off five straight points to level the match and force a decider.
It seemed as if Swiatek had weathered the storm in the final set, breaking Pegula twice early on to take a 4-2 lead.
But once again Swiatek’s service game unravelled, Pegula holding for 4-3 before breaking to make it 4-4.
A confident service game left Pegula 5-4 ahead, and the American then grabbed a match point when Swiatek hit a forehand long in the next game. Another wide forehand from Swiatek sealed Pegula’s win.
