The Charleston Open semifinals are set, featuring three American players vying for the title. Amanda Anisimova secured her spot after defeating hometown favorite Emma Navarro in a tight quarterfinal match, joining Jessica Pegula and Sofia Kenin in the final four. This marks the first time since 2003 that three Americans have reached this stage of the tournament.
The question is: will an American lift the trophy this year, or can Ekaterina Alexandrova disrupt their dominance and claim the championship?
No. 1 Jessica Pegula vs. No. 9 Ekaterina Alexandrova
The Case for Pegula
Jessica Pegula is arguably the player to beat in this semifinal. She demonstrated her strong form by overcoming defending champion Danielle Collins in her previous match, winning the last nine games in dominant fashion. Pegula`s current momentum is reminiscent of Collins` title-winning streaks in Miami and Charleston last year.
Having reached the final in Miami recently, Pegula is in excellent form, winning eight of her last nine matches. She is playing at her best in Charleston and aims to go further than her past semifinal appearances.
Pegula`s aggressive, flat hitting style and agile movement are proving effective. However, she faces a tough challenge against Alexandrova, who has defeated her in their last two encounters.
Interestingly, Pegula`s only victory over Alexandrova was on clay in Rome four years ago, which might give her some confidence heading into this match.
“She’s obviously beaten a lot of top players,” Pegula acknowledged about Alexandrova. “But I’m hoping on the clay it will be a different story. The last time I beat her was on the clay so hopefully I can use that to my advantage a little bit.”
Pegula`s impressive 23 match wins this year are unmatched by any other player, highlighting her consistency and strong performances.
The Case for Alexandrova
Looking at the stats, Alexandrova holds a psychological edge over Pegula. While Pegula has a strong record in quarterfinals, Alexandrova has been responsible for two of her recent quarterfinal losses, in Doha and Miami.
Alexandrova seems to have found a winning formula against Pegula, even coming back from a set down in their previous two meetings. Her dominant 6-1, 6-1 victory in Doha demonstrates her potential to overpower Pegula.
“She’s always consistent — on serve and return, like on every shot,” Alexandrova noted about Pegula`s game. “There’s no easy targets with her and you just need to earn every single point. You just need to be prepared to play point after point because nothing’s going to be easy with her.”
Alexandrova is known for her streaks. Earlier this year, she won eight consecutive matches, securing the Linz title and reaching the Doha semifinals. After a brief losing streak, she has rebounded in Charleston, defeating strong opponents like Diana Shnaider and Zheng Qinwen. Her victory over Zheng ended the latter`s 13-match winning streak on clay.
At 30, Alexandrova has an opportunity to make history in Charleston. Despite a mixed relationship with clay courts, she is in a strong position to reach her first clay-court final, having previously reached two clay semifinals, including Charleston in 2022.
No. 8 Amanda Anisimova vs. Sofia Kenin
The Case for Anisimova
Amanda Anisimova displayed remarkable resilience in her quarterfinal win against Navarro, overcoming a partisan crowd. She demonstrated strong returning skills, particularly in crucial moments against Navarro, which will be essential against Kenin.
Anisimova’s ability to turn the tide when Navarro was serving for the second set highlights her mental toughness and clutch performance capabilities.
While past matches against Kenin from eight years ago in ITF tournaments may not be entirely relevant now, Anisimova did win their only clay court encounter in Dothan, Alabama.
“It was so long ago,” Anisimova commented about those matches. “She was also someone I didn’t want to play back then. Yeah, it’s been a while. Going to be playing an American, so hopefully the crowd will be great out here again. Hopefully it will be a good match.”
Reaching the Charleston semifinals marks Anisimova`s best result at a WTA 500 event. She is building momentum in 2025, highlighted by her WTA 1000 victory in Doha earlier in the year and 13 match wins so far.
The Case for Kenin
Sofia Kenin`s past results in Charleston have been less than stellar, but this year she has put together an impressive run of four match wins. As the only unseeded player remaining, Kenin has yet to drop a set, defeating seeded players Belinda Bencic, Daria Kasatkina, and Anna Kalinskaya.
Kenin`s strong serve was key in her victory over Kalinskaya, winning a high percentage of her first-serve points and limiting break opportunities for her opponent.
“Amanda’s a very solid, very flat hitter,” Kenin assessed. “She’s added variety to her game, drop shots, coming in. It’s going to be hit or miss from both of our sides because we both like the flat game. We don’t really like to play those long points, do all that sliding.”
“But yeah, I’m looking forward to it. One American’s going to be in the finals, I’m just hoping that’s me.”
Kenin`s only previous clay-court semifinal appearance was five years ago at Roland Garros, where she reached the final after winning the Australian Open that year.
“Been playing some great tennis this year, especially this week,” Kenin stated. “I took this as a great opportunity, very happy with my level. It’s only great things, let’s see what happens tomorrow.”
