Delray Beach Open final tennis match postponed to Monday afternoon by Sunday's rain
BOCA RATON — The Delray Beach Open's marquee All-South Florida singles final between the two top-ranked American men, defending champion Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul has been postponed to Monday at 12:30 p.m. due to all-day rain, the tournament announced Sunday afternoon.
The Fritz-Paul battle was to originally take place at 3 p.m. at the Delray Beach Tennis Center. Tickets for Sunday's matches will be honored Monday. There will be no refund or credits, the tournament said. The doubles final will take place at 10 a.m Monday; it will be Santiago Gonzalez/Neal Skupski vs. Julian Cash/Robert. Galloway
More: It's Fritz-Paul - an All- South Florida Final at Delray Beach Open if weather permits
There is precedent for a Monday final. In 2007, on Super Bowl Sunday that was played in Miami Gardens, the Xavier Malisse-James Blake championship match was postponed by rain while the game went on. The Indianapolis Colts beat the Chicago Bears on Sunday and Malisse beat Blake on Monday. Blake is now tournament director of the Miami Open.
The battle between No. 9 Fritz and No. 14 Paul marks the highest-combined rankings of two finalists in the tournament’s 32-year history. It's also a rematch between the two Americans who squared off in the finals in Dallas last week with Paul winning.
The two finalists also live and train in South Florida, with Fritz buying a place in Miami two years ago. Paul has lived in Boca Raton since age 13. Their ATP series record is 2-2 but played each other for the first time 12 years ago in the junior 14-year-old-and-under division.
“I’m excited,’’ said Fritz, who won the 2023 Delray Open over Miomir Kecmanovic. “It’s going to be a good one. I’m coming off Australian Open quarterfinals. He just won Dallas. I’m expecting a battle.’’
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Delray Beach Open final between Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul postponed to Monday
