Emma Navarro, a Charleston native who grew up playing on Daniel Island courts, has reached her first quarterfinal at the Credit One Charleston Open. Navarro, who debuted in the WTA main draw here in 2019 as a wild card and has participated in every tournament since, overcame a set and a break deficit to defeat fellow American Ashlyn Krueger with a score of 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
In the quarterfinals, Navarro will face another American player, Amanda Anisimova. Anisimova, seeded No. 8, secured her spot by defeating No. 10 seed Yulia Putintseva in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4.
Despite being the same age and growing up in the same tennis circles, Navarro and Anisimova have only played against each other twice before 2022. Anisimova won both previous encounters.
Navarro faced immediate pressure from Krueger in their match, who broke serve in the very first game. Krueger maintained her lead in the first set and went up 2-0 in the second. However, Navarro fought back, capitalizing on errors and increasing her aggression to win the second and third sets.
Anisimova`s performance against Putintseva was dominant. She effectively dictated the pace of the rallies and patiently waited for opportunities to strike winning shots. Putintseva struggled with unforced errors, contributing to Anisimova`s victory.
