Former top-ranked tennis stars Sofia Kenin and Maria Sakkari launched their clay-court campaigns successfully at the WTA 500 Credit One Charleston Open. Both players secured straight-set victories in their opening round matches on Tuesday.

Sakkari initiated the day`s matches at Credit One Stadium, defeating Canadian wildcard Marina Stakusic 6-3, 6-2. Following her, Kenin overcame fellow American Bernarda Pera with a 6-3, 6-4 win. These results set the stage for exciting second-round encounters for both Kenin and Sakkari against seeded opponents who are currently in excellent form.

Here’s a closer look at the key moments from the early action in Charleston.

Sakkari Aims to Regain Momentum in Charleston

In her fourth appearance at the Charleston tournament, Maria Sakkari is eager to build momentum as the clay season commences. Last year at this time, Sakkari, then ranked No. 7 and seeded third, advanced to the semifinals in Charleston before losing to the eventual champion, Danielle Collins.

Currently ranked No. 64 after a shoulder injury cut short her 2024 season post-US Open, and with a season record of 6 wins and 11 losses, the Greek player hopes that returning to Charleston will serve as a catalyst for a stronger 2025 performance. Besides her semifinal appearance last year, Sakkari also reached the quarterfinals in 2019.

Sakkari demonstrated resilience against the 19-year-old Stakusic. Despite trailing 3-0, 0-30 early in the match, she rallied to win seven consecutive games, ultimately securing a second-round match against World No. 7 Zheng Qinwen.

`I am very happy that despite falling behind by two breaks in the first set, I managed to turn things around,` Sakkari commented after her match. `After that initial phase, I felt I played some really good tennis. It`s always challenging to compete against powerful hitters like her; she is a fantastic young player with a bright future. I am thrilled to continue my stay in Charleston.`

Sakkari`s head-to-head record against Zheng is currently unavailable, but she will be striving for her first victory against a Top 10 player in over a year and her first on clay since defeating defending champion Iga Swiatek at Roland Garros in 2021.

`It`s anticipated to be a very tough match, for both of us, hopefully,` Sakkari added. `I am feeling good on clay, and she has been playing exceptionally well recently… I plan to go out there and enjoy the competition.`

Kenin Finding Comfort in Charleston

Sofia Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion, followed Sakkari onto the court and secured her first Charleston win since 2023.

Kenin`s path to the second round extended into an extra day. She was leading Pera 4-2 when their match was suspended on Monday night due to rain. Upon resuming play, she faced a strong challenge from her fellow American left-hander. Kenin had to save a break point immediately in the seventh game and another before closing out the set.

Despite being down 4-0 in the second set, Pera narrowed the gap to 4-3 before Kenin ultimately served out the match, overcoming a 0-30 deficit in that final game.

Kenin’s next opponent will be No. 17 seed Belinda Bencic. Bencic`s seeding was elevated after Magdalena Frech, initially expected to be the No. 13 seed, withdrew after the tournament draw.

More updates to follow….