Americans dominate DC Open: Jessica Pegula stunned by Leylah Fernandez, Frances Tiafoe sets Shelton showdown

The ATP and WTA 500 DC Open saw several Americans in action. Jessica Pegula closed out the day against Leylah Fernandez, while an afternoon all-American clash featured Taylor Townsend and Sofia Kenin, resulting in a surprising victory for the doubles specialist.

On the men's side, Frances Tiafoe displayed his usual confidence on the American hardcourt swing. Leveraging the home advantage, he secured a brilliant win over Flavio Cobolli, guaranteeing an all-American clash against his friend Ben Shelton in the quarterfinals.

A surprising outcome for sixth seed Sofia Kenin, not just due to the loss against her compatriot, but especially because of how it unfolded. The former Australian Open champion had debuted with a straightforward victory over Hailey Baptiste (6-3, 7-6(4)) and advanced to the Round of 16 looking in good form, winning over 70% of her service points.

However, against Townsend, she had a difficult day, winning barely 40% of her service points, and encountering an opponent who was more than inspired when it was her turn to serve.

Townsend had successfully navigated the qualifying rounds, defeating Colombians Camila Osorio and Emiliana Arango, and then surprised Tatjana Maria in straight sets in the first round of the main draw. Townsend's serving level is no surprise; she has found consistency in recent years, a result of her strong doubles campaigns (currently world No. 2), where she currently plays alongside Katerina Siniakova as the top-ranked doubles pair.

The American hit a remarkable 17 aces in just 8 games—meaning an average of slightly over two points won per service game without Kenin even touching the ball. In the first set, Kenin managed to keep the score even until 3-3, but then Townsend's momentum kicked in, while Kenin got tangled in errors, quickly conceding the set 6-3.

In the second set, Kenin simply looked out of sorts for much of the match. Four double faults and only a 47% first-serve percentage prevented her from staying in contention. Townsend maintained her effectiveness and secured three consecutive breaks, sealing a notable 6-3, 6-0 victory, winning 9 consecutive games.

Leylah Fernandez delivered a significant upset at the DC Open, defeating top seed Jessica Pegula 6-3, 1-6, 6-4. The match saw the former US Open finalist capitalize on crucial moments, ultimately sending the tournament's top favorite packing. Fernandez will now face Taylor Townsend in the quarterfinals.

The first set saw Leylah Fernandez strike first. After saving a couple of break points early on, she secured a break in the sixth game on her first opportunity. The 22-year-old Canadian held firm on her serve and closed out the set 6-3, benefiting from unforced errors from Pegula.

In the beginning of the second set, Fernandez showed her aggression, creating a couple of break opportunities in the first game, but Pegula managed to navigate the difficult moment. The American knew her chance would come and broke in the fourth game on her first opportunity. The world No. 4 then took control of the match, winning five consecutive games to secure the set 6-1 against a demoralized Fernandez, who watched as Pegula dominated the play.

At the start of the third set, Pegula was the one to get an early break, going up 2-0 (and extending her streak to seven consecutive games). However, Fernandez displayed her usual resilience, breaking back just minutes later to level the score at 2-2. The young Canadian looked closer to another break, with Pegula starting 0-30 down in both the sixth and eighth games while trying to stay in contention. Meanwhile, Fernandez's serving efficiency was remarkable; she went on to win 16 of the next 18 points she served. With the score at 5-4 in Leylah's favor, she had three match points, but Pegula saved them and stayed alive. Nevertheless, this only delayed the defeat by a few minutes, as Fernandez secured the break in the very next game and avoided the tie-break, eliminating the top title favorite 6-3, 1-6, 6-4.

Frances Tiafoe secured a commanding victory against Italian Flavio Cobolli (ninth seed) on the men's side. The American leveraged the home-court advantage—and a deficient performance from his rival—to press the accelerator at crucial moments and advance to the quarterfinals of the DC Open. The world No. 11 once again begins an American hardcourt swing with special motivation and delivered a splendid performance against an opponent who had been full of confidence after reaching his first Grand Slam quarterfinals at Wimbledon a couple of weeks prior.

In the first set, both players showed problems with their first serve—Cobolli with 40% and Tiafoe with just 41%. However, effectiveness was key, with the American gaining the advantage. While Tiafoe faced several break points against him throughout the set, Cobolli couldn't defend his service game even once, with his only game in his favor coming from a break in the third game. "Big Foe" took a straightforward set 6-1 with three consecutive breaks.

The second set maintained the same tone, and Tiafoe secured a fourth consecutive break, then took a 2-0 lead. Until that moment, Cobolli hadn't responded on serve, but he managed to get back into the game—winning a service game for the first time—and then created a couple of break opportunities that, unfortunately for him, he couldn't convert. "Big Foe" held onto his lead until the end and ultimately sealed the 6-1, 6-4 victory, setting up a clash with fellow American Ben Shelton in Friday's quarterfinals.