Regardless of the outcome of the final quarterfinal match, the Charleston Open semifinals were guaranteed to feature three American players.

Amanda Anisimova secured her spot by defeating local favorite Emma Navarro in a close match, 7-5, 7-6 (1), at the Credit One Charleston Open. Anisimova dominated the tiebreak, winning seven of the last eight points.

The last instance of three Americans reaching the semifinals at this tournament was in 2003. That year, Justine Henin defeated Serena Williams in the Family Circle Cup final, ending Williams` impressive 21-0 start to the season.

This year, the question is: will an American player claim the title, or will Ekaterina Alexandrova disrupt their dominance and secure another championship?

No. 1 Jessica Pegula vs. No. 9 Ekaterina Alexandrova (1 p.m.)

Pegula`s Strengths: Jessica Pegula enters the semifinals as the player with the best form in the remaining field.

The American player demonstrated her resilience by overcoming defending champion Danielle Collins in her previous match. After losing the first set, Pegula rallied to win 1-6, 6-3, 6-0, claiming the last nine games of the match. Her current momentum mirrors Collins` title-winning streaks in Miami and Charleston last year.

Pegula reached the final in Miami, where she was defeated by World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. She has continued her strong performance in Charleston, winning her first three matches and equaling her best result at this tournament. After previous near misses, she is determined to advance further this year.

Currently ranked No. 4 in the PIF WTA rankings, Pegula is playing with her signature style – flat, fast-paced tennis combined with excellent court movement. However, she will need to elevate her game against Alexandrova, who has won their last two encounters.

Notably, Pegula`s only victory over Alexandrova occurred on clay four years ago in Rome.

“She has defeated many top players,” Pegula acknowledged about Alexandrova. “But I am hoping that playing on clay will make a difference this time. My last win against her was on clay, so I hope to use that to my advantage.”

Pegula`s impressive record this year, with the most match wins (23) on tour, underscores her potential.

Alexandrova`s Strengths: A deeper look into the statistics reveals that Pegula has been successful in 8 out of her last 10 quarterfinal matches. Interestingly, Alexandrova was the victor in the other two, recently in Doha and previously in Miami last year.

Alexandrova seems to have a tactical advantage over Pegula. In their recent matches, Alexandrova recovered from losing the first set to win decisively. In Doha, her victory was particularly dominant at 6-1, 6-1.

“She is consistently strong in all aspects of her game – serve, return, every shot,” Alexandrova commented on Pegula. “There are no weak points to target, and you have to earn every point. You need to be ready for a tough battle on every point because nothing will come easy against her.”

Alexandrova is known for her streaks. Earlier this year, she won eight consecutive matches, capturing the title at the Linz 500 and reaching the semifinals in Doha. Despite entering Charleston on a four-match losing streak, she has now won three matches in a row. Her path to the semifinals included victories over No. 6 Diana Shnaider 6-2, 6-1 and No. 3 Zheng Qinwen 6-1, 6-4, ending Zheng`s 13-match winning streak on clay.

At 30, Alexandrova is aiming for a personal milestone. Although she admits a “love-hate relationship” with clay, she is in a strong position in Charleston. She has reached two clay-court semifinals before, including Charleston in 2022, but has yet to reach a final. This could be her opportunity.

No. 8 Amanda Anisimova vs. Sofia Kenin (to follow)

Anisimova`s Strengths: Anisimova displayed remarkable resilience against Navarro, overcoming strong home crowd support.

Navarro was serving for the second set at 5-3 and led 30-0 when Anisimova shifted gears. By returning effectively, a skill she`ll need against Kenin, Anisimova forced a crucial tiebreak. This was significant as it could have been Navarro’s 39th three-set match since the start of 2024, with an impressive 27-11 record in such matches.

Anisimova and Kenin have played twice before, but their matches were in ITF tournaments eight years ago, making it difficult to draw meaningful conclusions. Anisimova won their only clay-court encounter in Dothan, Alabama.

“It was such a long time ago,” Anisimova said in her post-match interview. “She was someone I didn’t want to play even back then. It has been a while. I`m playing another American next, so hopefully, the crowd support will be great again. I hope it will be a good match.”

This semifinal appearance matches Anisimova`s best result in Charleston and marks her best performance at a WTA 500 event. Anisimova should feel confident, having already won 13 matches in 2025, including her first WTA 1000 title in Doha a few months prior.

Kenin`s Strengths: Kenin`s history in Charleston hasn`t been strong, with a 2-6 record in main-draw matches. However, this year she has strung together four impressive victories.

As the only unseeded player remaining, Kenin has won all her matches in straight sets, defeating seeded players Belinda Bencic, Daria Kasatkina, and Anna Kalinskaya in her last three matches. Against Kalinskaya, Kenin served exceptionally well, winning 26 of 32 first-serve points (81 percent) and being broken only once.

“Amanda is a very solid, flat hitter,” Kenin noted. “She has added variety to her game with drop shots and net approaches. It will likely be a match of aggressive hitting from both of us because we both favor a flat style of play and prefer to avoid long, drawn-out rallies and sliding on clay.”

“But yes, I am looking forward to it. An American will be in the final, and I hope it will be me.”

The only previous time Kenin reached a clay-court semifinal was five years ago, following her Australian Open victory, when she reached the final at Roland Garros.

“I have been playing great tennis this year, especially this week,” Kenin said. “I saw this as a great opportunity and am very happy with my level. Everything is positive, and I am excited to see what tomorrow brings.”