Top-seeded Jessica Pegula fought her way into the Credit One Charleston Open final on Saturday, securing a 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 victory over No. 9 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova. Pegula demonstrated resilience, twice rallying from a break down in the decisive third set.
After two previous semifinal exits in Charleston, World No. 4 Pegula finally broke through at the WTA 500 clay-court tournament. In windy conditions, she needed two hours and 20 minutes to defeat the 26th-ranked Alexandrova, evening their head-to-head record at 2-2.
Pegula`s final opponent will be fellow American Sofia Kenin. Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion, advanced to the final after No. 8 seed Amanda Anisimova retired from their semifinal match due to a right hip injury. Kenin was leading 5-2 in the first set when Anisimova stopped playing.
Looking at their head-to-head record, Pegula holds a 3-2 advantage over Kenin. Their most recent encounter was at last year`s US Open, where Pegula defeated Kenin in the second round on her way to her first Grand Slam final.
This upcoming final will be the first all-American Charleston final since 1990, when Martina Navratilova defeated Jennifer Capriati.
Pegula`s victory over Alexandrova marks her 24th WTA main-draw win of the year, making her the tour`s match-win leader, surpassing Aryna Sabalenka who has 23 wins.
Pegula started strong in her semifinal, maintaining a flawless game for the first 20 minutes without any unforced errors. By taking a 5-0 lead in the first set, she extended her winning streak to 14 games, which began in the second set of her quarterfinal win against Danielle Collins.
However, the second set saw a shift in momentum as Alexandrova`s powerful game came alive. Alexandrova hit 14 winners compared to Pegula`s two, allowing her to even the match at one set each.
The third set was a back-and-forth battle, with Pegula twice recovering from a break down. At 5-5, a well-placed backhand by Pegula forced an error from Alexandrova, giving Pegula the chance to serve for the match. In the following game, Pegula sealed the victory with another backhand winner down the line on her second match point.
More updates to follow…
