JESSICA PEGULA had to battle past the world No1 and a rogue PA system to reach the Canadian Open final.
Pegula, 29, faced Iga Swiatek in a thrilling semi-final in Montreal on Saturday.
Twitter / @primevideosportPlay was stopped between Jessica Pegula and Iga Swiatek because Cotton Eye Joe came through the tannoy[/caption]
Twitter / @primevideosportPegula could barely believe what had happened at such a crucial moment[/caption]
But at a crucial point in the second-set tie-break, the stadium speakers suddenly and inexplicably started pumping out Cotton Eye Joe.
No4 seed Pegula, who took the opening set 6-2, had just put up a brilliant lob leading 4-3 in the breaker, with Swiatek backpedalling to scramble the ball back into play.
The Pole, 22, attempted her recovery overhead – at the same moment the iconic Rednex tune burst into: “If it hadn’t been for Cotton-Eye Joe.”
But before the next line could start, the chair umpire Marija Cicak called for a let as the music continued.
Pegula looked utterly baffled – and pretty frustrated because Swiatek’s shot had set her up for a possible forehand winner.
Fans in the Canadian Open stadium and at home were also bemused but also saw the funny side.
One said: “I keep watching it and am always still surprised when it happens.”
Another wrote: “This has to be top ten weirdest things to ever happen in a tennis match.”
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A third added: “You could not pick a funnier song to interrupt a point.”
And a final user joked: “Where did he come from? I’m sorry, everyone,” in reference to the famous lyrics.
The disruption prevented Pegula taking a commanding 5-3 lead in the tie-break and within two points of victory.
And Swiatek – who confused fans by playing with tape over her mouth last week – won the replayed point then rattled off the next seven points in a row to take the second set, level the match and make a strong start in the deciding third.
The reigning US Open and French Open champion then went an early break up.
But Pegula – dubbed the world’s richest tennis star due to her family’s $4billion wealth – battled back to record one of the biggest wins of her career.
And the American will go into Sunday’s final as the likely favourite – because the other semi-final between Elena Rybakina and Liudmila Samsonova was washed out last night.
That means they will play their semi-final on Sunday with the winner then playing again on the same day against Pegula.
Twitter / @primevideosportThe chair umpire called for a let following the incident[/caption]
GettyPegula came through to beat the world No1 in three sets[/caption]