Regardless of the outcome of Friday`s final quarterfinal, the Charleston Open semifinals were guaranteed to feature three American players.
Amanda Anisimova secured her place by defeating local favorite Emma Navarro in a close match, 7-5, 7-6 (1).
The last time three Americans reached the semifinals in Charleston was in 2003. That year, Justine Henin defeated Serena Williams in the final.
This year, the question is whether one of the Americans will claim the title, or if Ekaterina Alexandrova will emerge victorious.
No. 1 Jessica Pegula vs. No. 9 Ekaterina Alexandrova
Pegula`s Case: She is currently the most in-form player among the semifinalists.
Pegula overcame defending champion Danielle Collins in her quarterfinal match, winning 1-6, 6-3, 6-0 after losing the first set and being down in the second. She is currently on a winning streak similar to Collins` performance last year when she won consecutive titles in Miami and Charleston.
Pegula reached the final in Miami, losing to Aryna Sabalenka, and has won her matches in Charleston, totaling eight wins out of her last nine matches. This performance equals her best result in Charleston, and she aims to go further this year.
Pegula, ranked No. 4, is playing her characteristic flat and fast tennis and demonstrating excellent movement. She will need to elevate her game against Alexandrova, who has defeated her in their last two encounters.
Pegula`s only victory over Alexandrova was on clay in Rome four years ago.
Pegula Mounts Comeback Against Collins in Charleston Quarterfinals
“Alexandrova has defeated many top players,” Pegula acknowledged. “However, I hope clay will make a difference. My last win against her was on clay, so hopefully, I can use that to my advantage.”
Pegula`s strength is highlighted by her leading match wins this year.
Alexandrova`s Case: While Pegula has a strong quarterfinal record, Alexandrova has defeated her in two of Pegula`s last ten quarterfinal matches, including recent wins in Doha and Miami.
Alexandrova seems to have found a successful strategy against Pegula, coming back from losing the first set in their previous two encounters. In Doha, she won decisively 6-1, 6-1.
“Pegula is consistently strong in all aspects of the game,” Alexandrova noted. “There are no easy points against her, and you have to earn every point. You need to be ready for a tough point-by-point battle.”
Alexandrova is known for her streaks, having won eight matches earlier this year, including a title in Linz and reaching the semifinals in Doha. After a four-match losing streak, she has now won three consecutive matches in Charleston, defeating Diana Shnaider and Zheng Qinwen to reach this stage.
At 30, Alexandrova aims to achieve a personal milestone on clay, where she has reached two semifinals but never a final.
No. 8 Amanda Anisimova vs. Sofia Kenin
Anisimova`s Case: She displayed great resilience against Navarro, especially when Navarro was close to winning the second set.
Anisimova`s strong return game was crucial in the tiebreak against Navarro. This will be important against Kenin as well.
Anisimova and Kenin have played twice in ITF tournaments years ago. Anisimova won their only clay court match in Dothan.
“Those matches were a long time ago,” Anisimova said. “It’s going to be another American opponent, so hopefully, the crowd will be great again. I hope for a good match.”
This is Anisimova`s best result in Charleston and her best in a WTA 500 event. She has had a successful year so far, including winning a WTA 1000 event in Doha.
Kenin`s Case: Despite a poor past record in Charleston, she has secured four impressive wins this year.
Kenin, the only unseeded player left, has not dropped a set, defeating seeded players Belinda Bencic, Daria Kasatkina, and Anna Kalinskaya. Against Kalinskaya, Kenin`s serve was effective, and she was broken only once.
“Amanda is a very solid, flat hitter,” Kenin commented. “She has added variety to her game. It will depend on who plays better with their flat game. Neither of us prefers long rallies.”
“I’m looking forward to it. Hoping to be the American in the final.”
Kenin`s only other clay-court semifinal appearance was five years ago at Roland Garros, where she reached the final after winning the Australian Open.
“I’ve been playing great tennis this year, especially this week,” Kenin said. “I see this as a great opportunity and I’m happy with my level. Let’s see what happens tomorrow.”
