Pegula sets up all-American Charleston final with Kenin

IANS April 6, 2025 232 views

Jessica Pegula clinched a dramatic semifinal victory at the Charleston Open, overcoming Ekaterina Alexandrova in a thrilling three-set match. The top seed will now face fellow American Sofia Kenin in Saturday's final, marking the first all-American Charleston final since 1990. Pegula's win continues her impressive spring tournament run, having reached finals in three of her last four events. The match showcased her resilience and strategic adaptability on the court.

"It took everything today. Maybe a little bit of luck, maybe a little bit of the crowd." - Jessica Pegula
Pegula sets up all-American Charleston final with Kenin
Charleston, April 6: No. 1 seed Jessica Pegula battled into her first One Charleston Open final, twice coming back from a break down in the third set to pull off a 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 semifinal victory over No.

Key Points

1

Pegula wins tough semifinal against Alexandrova in three sets

2

First Charleston final since 1990 all-American matchup

3

Kenin advances after Anisimova retirement

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Pegula leads WTA main-draw victories in 2023

9 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova. With a topsy-turvy two-hour, 18-minute victory over Alexandrova, the top seed Pegula is into her second straight singles final of the spring, following up on her run at the WTA 1000 Miami Open. She has now reached finals in three of her last four tournaments, a run that includes the WTA 250 Austin title.

Pegula's win over Alexandrova was her 24th WTA main-draw victory of the year, putting her one ahead of Aryna Sabalenka's 23, according to WTA.

"She's beaten me the last couple of times. Every time it's the same: I win the first set, she wins the second, then she wins the third. I'm like, 'What do I have to do to beat this girl?' It took everything today. Maybe a little bit of luck, maybe a little bit of the crowd. I do think I did some stuff differently today than I have in the past, so I'm proud that I was able to do that and trust that," said Pegula.

Pegula will now face her fellow American Sofia Kenin in Saturday's final. The 2020 Australian Open champion Kenin advanced when another American, No. 8 seed Amanda Anisimova, retired from their semifinal due to a right hip injury. Kenin was leading 5-2 in the first set when Anisimova stopped play.

"I'm feeling very good with the level I've played throughout the week It's unfortunate that Amanda had to retire, I wish her a speedy recovery. She's had a great year and I just wish her the best," Kenin said.

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

Reader Comments

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Mike T.
What a match! Pegula's mental toughness is next level. Coming back twice from breaks down in the third set shows why she's #1. That final against Kenin is going to be 🔥
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Sarah L.
So happy to see an all-American final after all these years! Both players deserve this moment. Though I wish Anisimova could've finished her match - hope her injury isn't serious.
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Jamal K.
Pegula's consistency this season is insane - finals in 3 of last 4 tournaments? That's championship mentality right there. American tennis is looking strong 💪
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Amanda R.
While I'm excited for the final, I do think the match quality suffered a bit today. Both semifinals felt a bit messy with all the momentum swings and the retirement. Hope the final delivers cleaner tennis!
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Tyler G.
Kenin's comeback story is so inspiring! From struggling with injuries to making a final again. Rooting for both players but would love to see Sofia get another title 🎾
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Emma S.
That stat about Pegula having more wins than Sabalenka this year really surprised me! She's flying under the radar but putting together an amazing season. Charleston crowd was electric today too!

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Tags:
Jessica Pegula Sofia Kenin Charleston Open Tennis WTA Tour American Tennis
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