Former Top 10 players Sofia Kenin and Maria Sakkari both had a positive start to their clay-court season at the WTA 500 Credit One Charleston Open. On Tuesday, both athletes secured straight-set victories in their first matches.

Maria Sakkari began the day at Credit One Stadium with a 6-3, 6-2 victory against Canadian wild card Marina Stakusic. Following her, Sofia Kenin defeated fellow American Bernarda Pera 6-3, 6-4. These wins set up exciting second-round matches for both against seeded opponents who are in good form.

Sakkari Aims to Regain Form in Charleston

Sakkari, playing in Charleston for the fourth time, is seeking momentum as the clay season gets underway. Last year at this tournament, she was seeded third and ranked No. 7, reaching the semifinals before losing to the eventual champion, Danielle Collins.

Currently ranked No. 64 after a shoulder injury in 2024 and with a 6-11 record this season, the Greek player hopes that returning to Charleston will be a turning point for the remainder of 2025. Besides her semifinal appearance last year, Sakkari also reached the quarterfinals in 2019.

Against Stakusic, Sakkari showed resilience. Despite trailing 3-0, 0-30 at the start, she won seven consecutive games and is now set to face World No. 7 Zheng Qinwen in the second round.

“I’m very happy that even after being down a double break in the first set, I managed to come back,” Sakkari said after her match. “After that, my tennis improved. It’s always challenging to play against strong hitters like her; she’s a fantastic young player. I’m thrilled to continue my stay in Charleston.”

Sakkari’s head-to-head record against Zheng is currently unavailable. She will be aiming for her first Top 10 victory in over a year, and her first on clay since defeating defending champion Iga Swiatek at Roland Garros in 2021.

“It will be a very tough match, hopefully for both of us,” Sakkari commented on her upcoming match. “I feel good on clay, and she’s been playing great tennis… I’m going to go out there and enjoy it.”

Kenin Feels Comfortable in Charleston

Sofia Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion, continued the winning momentum after Sakkari, securing her first victory in Charleston since 2023.

Kenin had to wait an extra day to confirm her place in the second round. Her match against Pera was suspended on Monday night due to rain with Kenin leading 4-2. Upon resuming, she faced a strong challenge from her fellow American, saving a break point in the seventh game and another before winning the set.

Despite being down 4-0 in the second set, Pera fought back to 4-3 before Kenin ultimately served out the match from 0-30.

Kenin’s next opponent is No. 17 seed Belinda Bencic, who became a seed after Magdalena Frech, originally seeded No. 13, withdrew after the draw.

More updates to follow…