Americans Madison Keys, Amanda Anisimova, and defending champion Danielle Collins made a strong start to the second round of the WTA 500 Credit One Charleston Open, each winning their Tuesday evening matches to advance to the Round of 16.
Madison Keys, the No. 2 seed, faced the most challenging match but still won in straight sets. The Australian Open champion needed to fend off eight match points before finally defeating fellow American Caroline Dolehide 6-3, 7-6(4).
Keys was leading by a set and a break, holding her first four match points at 6-3, 5-4. However, Dolehide fought back, saving those and two more in the subsequent game to level the second set in a powerful exchange.
Currently at a career-high ranking of World No. 5, Keys remained composed in the tiebreak to ultimately overcome her compatriot, marking her 20th match win of the year.
Danielle Collins, the defending champion, continued the American success on Credit One Stadium, beginning her title defense with a victory over another American player. The No. 7 seed Collins defeated Robin Montgomery 6-3, 6-1 in 1 hour and 9 minutes, extending her winning streak in Charleston to seven matches.
Collins` title victory last year was part of a 15-match winning streak, which propelled her back into the Top 10 rankings. Last year in Charleston, she secured her first WTA 500 title, a week after winning her first WTA 1000 title at the 2024 Miami Open.
Collins demonstrated her determination to maintain her Charleston streak, dominating 20-year-old Montgomery, who is close to breaking into the Top 100. Collins controlled the match, winning 80 percent of her first-serve points and preventing Montgomery from having any break point opportunities.
“I’m most happy with my mindset and being relentless,” Collins said after her victory. “Going for my shots, not being too hard on myself for mistakes, and allowing myself some breathing room.”
Amanda Anisimova concluded the night on Credit One Stadium with a 6-2, 6-2 win against Veronika Kudermetova, the 2021 Charleston champion. Anisimova had lost her previous two matches against Kudermetova, but she secured her first victory against the former Top 10 player.
Anisimova reached the semifinals in Charleston in 2022, her best result at a WTA 500 event. She aims to surpass that this week, during a period where she is arguably playing the best tennis of her career. She won her most significant title at the WTA 1000 Doha in February and recently reached a career-high ranking of No. 16.
More updates to follow.
