The Charleston Open semifinals are set, featuring three American players vying for the title. Amanda Anisimova secured her spot after defeating local favorite Emma Navarro in a tight quarterfinal match, joining Jessica Pegula and Sofia Kenin in the final four. This is the first time since 2003 that three Americans have reached this stage of the tournament.
The question now is whether one of these Americans will lift the trophy, or if Ekaterina Alexandrova will disrupt their dominance and claim the championship.
Jessica Pegula vs. Ekaterina Alexandrova (1:00 PM ET)
Pegula`s Strengths: Jessica Pegula enters the semifinal as the player with the best form in the tournament. She demonstrated her resilience by overcoming Danielle Collins in the quarterfinals, winning nine consecutive games after a slow start. Pegula`s current momentum mirrors Collins` impressive run last year when she secured back-to-back titles in Miami and Charleston.
Pegula`s consistent performance, highlighted by her recent final appearance in Miami, showcases her strong baseline game and court coverage. While Alexandrova has won their last two encounters, Pegula`s only victory against her was on clay in Rome four years ago, giving her hope for this clay-court semifinal.
Pegula acknowledges Alexandrova`s strength, stating, “Obviously she’s beaten a lot of top players… But I’m hoping on the clay it will be a different story. The last time I beat her was on the clay so hopefully I can use that to my advantage a little bit.” Her impressive 23 match wins this year further solidify her position as a top contender.
Alexandrova`s Strengths: While Pegula is favored, statistics reveal that Alexandrova has been a stumbling block for Pegula in quarterfinals. Alexandrova has defeated Pegula in two of her last ten quarterfinal matches, including recent wins in Doha and Miami. Alexandrova`s powerful game seems to match up well against Pegula. In their Doha match, Alexandrova dominated with a decisive 6-1, 6-1 victory.
Alexandrova recognizes Pegula`s consistency, noting, “She’s always consistent — on serve and return, like on every shot… There’s no easy targets with her and you just need to earn every single point.” Alexandrova`s own form is streaky but potent; she won eight matches in a row earlier this year, securing a title in Linz and reaching the Doha semifinals. After a brief losing streak, she has rebounded strongly in Charleston, defeating higher-ranked players like Diana Shnaider and Zheng Qinwen.
For Alexandrova, this semifinal represents a chance to make history. Despite reaching two clay-court semifinals before, she has never reached a final on this surface. Charleston could be her breakthrough moment on clay.
Amanda Anisimova vs. Sofia Kenin (Follows Previous Match)
Anisimova`s Strengths: Amanda Anisimova displayed remarkable resilience in her quarterfinal victory against Navarro, especially while playing against a supportive home crowd. Overcoming a set point down, Anisimova`s strong return game was key to turning the match around. This will be crucial against Kenin.
While past matches between Anisimova and Kenin are from ITF tournaments eight years ago, Anisimova did win their only clay-court encounter. Anisimova is optimistic about the semifinal, stating, “Going to be playing an American, so hopefully the crowd will be great out here again. Hopefully it will be a good match.” This semifinal appearance is Anisimova`s best result at a WTA 500 event, and she comes into the match with confidence after winning a WTA 1000 title earlier this year in Doha.
Kenin`s Strengths: Sofia Kenin, the only unseeded player remaining, has had a strong run in Charleston, winning all her matches in straight sets. She has defeated seeded players like Belinda Bencic, Daria Kasatkina, and Anna Kalinskaya, demonstrating improved serving and consistent play. Against Kalinskaya, Kenin won an impressive 81% of her first-serve points and was broken only once.
Kenin acknowledges Anisimova`s aggressive style, saying, “Amanda’s a very solid, very flat hitter… It’s going to be hit or miss from both of our sides because we both like the flat game.” Despite a less favorable history in Charleston, Kenin`s current form and past success on clay, including a Roland Garros final appearance, make her a dangerous opponent. “Been playing some great tennis this year, especially this week,” Kenin stated, “I took this as a great opportunity, very happy with my level. It’s only great things, let’s see what happens tomorrow.”
