The Charleston Open semifinals are set, and three American players have advanced to this stage for the first time since 2003. Amanda Anisimova secured the final spot by defeating local favorite Emma Navarro in a close quarterfinal match, decided by a tiebreak.
Anisimova`s victory means that Americans will have a strong presence in the semifinals. Back in 2003, Justine Henin defeated Serena Williams in the final. This year, the question is: will an American player win the title, or can Ekaterina Alexandrova disrupt their plans?
Jessica Pegula vs. Ekaterina Alexandrova
Pegula`s Case: Jessica Pegula is entering the semifinals as the player with the best form in the tournament.
Pegula, ranked No. 1 in the tournament, demonstrated her resilience by overcoming Danielle Collins in the quarterfinals after a slow start. She won the last nine games of their match, mirroring Collins` dominant runs in Miami and Charleston last year.
Pegula was a finalist in Miami and has continued her strong performance in Charleston, winning her first three matches. This equals her best result in this tournament, and she is eager to go further this year.
Pegula, currently ranked No. 4 in the world, is playing her signature style of tennis: fast-paced and accurate. To reach the final, she`ll need to elevate her game against Alexandrova, who has won their last two encounters.
However, Pegula`s only victory over Alexandrova was on clay in Rome four years ago, which might give her confidence for this clay-court match.
“Alexandrova has defeated many top players,” Pegula acknowledged. “But I hope playing on clay will change things. My past win against her on clay gives me some advantage.”
Pegula`s strength is evident in her match record – she has won more matches than anyone else this year, totaling 23 victories.
Alexandrova`s Case: While Pegula has a strong record in quarterfinals recently, Alexandrova has been responsible for two of her rare losses in the past 10 quarterfinal matches, winning against Pegula in Doha and Miami.
Alexandrova seems to have a tactical advantage against Pegula. In both of her recent wins, she came back from losing the first set to win decisively, including a dominant 6-1, 6-1 victory in Doha.
“Pegula is consistently strong in all aspects of her game,” Alexandrova noted. “There are no easy points against her, and you have to fight for every point. You must be ready for a tough, point-by-point battle.”
Alexandrova is known for her streaks. Earlier this year, she won eight consecutive matches, securing a title in Linz and reaching the Doha semifinals. After a four-match losing streak, she has now won three matches in a row in Charleston, including victories over seeded players Diana Shnaider and Zheng Qinwen. Her win against Zheng ended Zheng’s 13-match winning streak on clay.
At 30, Alexandrova has the opportunity to make history. Despite a “love-hate relationship” with clay, she is in a strong position in Charleston. She has reached two clay-court semifinals before, including Charleston in 2022, but is yet to reach a final on this surface.
Amanda Anisimova vs. Sofia Kenin
Anisimova`s Case: Anisimova displayed great resilience in her quarterfinal win against Navarro, especially considering the strong home crowd support for Navarro.
Navarro was close to winning the second set, serving at 5-3 and leading 30-0, but Anisimova fought back, demonstrating strong returning skills that will be crucial against Kenin. She forced and won a tiebreak, avoiding a potential third set. Navarro is known for playing and winning many three-set matches.
Anisimova and Kenin have played twice before in ITF tournaments eight years ago. Anisimova won their only clay-court match in Dothan, Alabama.
“Those matches were a long time ago,” Anisimova said. “It will be another match against an American, so hopefully, the crowd will be great again, and it will be a good match.”
Reaching the semifinals in Charleston is Anisimova`s best result at a WTA 500 event. She is having a good year, with 13 match wins and a WTA 1000 title in Doha earlier in the year.
Kenin`s Case: Kenin’s past record in Charleston isn`t strong, but this year she has achieved four impressive wins.
Kenin, the only unseeded player remaining, has won all her matches in straight sets, defeating seeded players Belinda Bencic, Daria Kasatkina, and Anna Kalinskaya. Against Kalinskaya, Kenin served exceptionally well, winning 81 percent of her first-serve points and being broken only once.
“Amanda is a very solid, flat hitter,” Kenin analyzed. “She has added variety to her game now. It will be a match of aggressive, flat hitting from both of us. Neither of us prefers long rallies or sliding on clay.”
“I’m looking forward to it. An American will be in the final, and I hope it will be me.”
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 earlier that year.
“I’ve been playing great tennis this year, especially this week,” Kenin said. “I see this as a great opportunity and I’m very happy with my level. Let’s see what happens tomorrow.”
