Pegula Advances to All-American Final Against Kenin in Charleston

Synopsis

Jessica Pegula has reached her first One Charleston Open final after defeating Ekaterina Alexandrova in a thrilling semifinal match. Pegula's victory marks her 24th WTA win this year, setting up a final against fellow American Sofia Kenin, who advanced after Amanda Anisimova's retirement.

Key Takeaways

Jessica Pegula reaches her first Charleston Open final.
She overcame a break down in the third set to win.
This is her second consecutive singles final this spring.
Pegula's win is her 24th in WTA main draws this year.
Sofia Kenin will be her opponent in the final.

Charleston, April 6 (NationPress) The top seed Jessica Pegula has secured her place in the final of the One Charleston Open for the first time, making a remarkable comeback from a break down in the third set to claim a 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 semifinal win against Ekaterina Alexandrova, who is seeded ninth.

In a thrilling contest lasting two hours and 18 minutes, Pegula’s victory marks her second consecutive singles final this spring, following her impressive performance at the WTA 1000 Miami Open. She has now reached the finals in three out of her last four tournaments, including clinching the WTA 250 title in Austin.

Pegula's triumph over Alexandrova is her 24th victory in WTA main draws this year, placing her ahead of Aryna Sabalenka, who has 23 wins, as per WTA records.

“She has bested me in our previous encounters. It’s always the same pattern: I win the first set, she takes the second, and then she wins the third. I kept thinking, ‘What must I do to win against her?’ It required everything from me today. Perhaps a bit of luck and some support from the crowd helped. I feel I approached things differently this time compared to before, and I’m proud of that,” Pegula expressed.

Next, Pegula will compete against her fellow American Sofia Kenin in the final on Saturday. Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion, advanced after her semifinal opponent, Amanda Anisimova, seeded eighth, retired due to a right hip injury while trailing 5-2 in the first set.

“I’m very satisfied with the level I’ve demonstrated throughout the week. It’s unfortunate that Amanda had to retire, and I wish her a swift recovery. She’s had an outstanding year, and I wish her nothing but the best,” Kenin commented.

This will be the first all-American final at Charleston since Martina Navratilova defeated Jennifer Capriati in the final back in 1990.