The final of the Credit One Charleston Open is a story of perseverance.
Jessica Pegula, the top seed, has reached her first final in Charleston after two years of semifinal defeats. In a tough match against Ekaterina Alexandrova, Pegula demonstrated resilience, winning 6-2, 2-6, 7-5, saving 15 out of 21 break points.
Pegula expressed her determination, stating, “I’ve always felt like I’ve played good tennis here and had good results. But I told myself in Miami I really want to go for the title this year. And I think I can do it.”
Sofia Kenin, once ranked No. 4 and an Australian Open champion in 2020, has been working her way back to the top. After a challenging period, Kenin has shown improvement, reaching the Charleston final.
Kenin advanced to the final after Amanda Anisimova retired due to injury. A victory over Pegula would mark Kenin`s first title in five years and potentially return her to the Top 25 rankings.
This is the first All-American final in Charleston since 1990. Kenin is eager for the win, saying, “It’s great that one of us is going to hold the trophy — and I hope I’ll be the one.”
Advantage, Pegula
Tennis requires constant adaptation. Pegula`s transition from the hard courts of Miami to the clay in Charleston has been impressive. Despite losing the Miami Open final to Aryna Sabalenka, Pegula quickly adjusted to the slower surface in Charleston.
Pegula`s swift adaptation was evident in her second-round victory over Iryna Shymanovich. Now, she is competing in her second final in just eight days and her third this season.
Pegula leads the WTA Tour this year with 24 match wins. Her semifinal victory against Alexandrova was her eighth consecutive win at this stage. Overcoming the semifinal hurdle in Charleston might be crucial for her title aspirations.
Pegula holds a slight 3-2 advantage in head-to-head matches against Kenin, but Kenin won their Roland Garros encounter on clay four years ago.
Pegula notes similarities between Alexandrova and Kenin`s playing styles: “They definitely like to take the ball early, change lines,” Pegula said. “Really good backhands, really good returners. Yeah, it’s going to be tough again, I think very similar to today. I’m going to have to dig deep. Hopefully take some of the things I learned today and use that tomorrow.”
Winning on Sunday could elevate Pegula to No. 3 in the WTA rankings, surpassing Coco Gauff and matching her career high, providing a significant confidence boost for the European clay-court season.
Advantage, Kenin
Kenin, the only unseeded player in the quarterfinals, is playing without pressure. Pegula, as the top seed, carries the weight of expectation.
Prior to this tournament, Kenin had only won two matches in six Charleston appearances. However, she quickly turned things around, defeating Bernarda Pera and Belinda Bencic in straight sets. A key victory came against Daria Kasatkina in a thrilling tiebreak. She continued her momentum with a straight-sets win over Anna Kalinskaya to reach the semifinals and then the final.
Kenin`s last four-match winning streak was in Tokyo last fall, where she reached the final, also defeating Kasatkina.
Kenin`s previous win over Pegula at Roland Garros should not be overlooked. Her angled game is well-suited for clay, while Pegula`s flatter shots are more effective on hard courts.
“Jess is a machine,” Kenin acknowledged. “She can play literally week in, week out. I really look up to her. I think what she’s doing is great. I hope tomorrow she can be a little bit off so I can win.”
Kenin is prepared for a tough match: “I’m expecting a battle. I’m expecting her to come out fully recovered, 100 percent.”
Kenin`s resurgence is remarkable. Earlier this year, she was ranked No. 75 and had to qualify for the Abu Dhabi WTA 500 event, where she lost in the first round.
Now, Kenin is on the verge of achieving significant personal milestones. “The way I’m playing, my mentality has changed,” Kenin said. “I’m not looking up to Jess in terms of, `Oh, my God, can I win a few games?’ I’m going there with the attitude of winning the match.”
Rupert Caldwell