Emma Navarro, a Charleston native who grew up playing on Daniel Island courts, is making waves at the Credit One Charleston Open. Since her WTA main-draw debut as a wild card here in 2019, she has participated in every tournament edition.
In her seventh attempt, the No. 4 seed and local favorite achieved a personal milestone by reaching the quarterfinals for the first time. Navarro rallied from a set and a break down to defeat fellow American and No. 15 seed Ashlyn Krueger with a score of 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. Her next opponent in the quarterfinals will be another American player, No. 8 seed Amanda Anisimova. Anisimova secured her quarterfinal spot by defeating No. 10 seed Yulia Putintseva 6-4, 6-4.
Charleston: Draws | Scores | Order of play
Despite being peers born in 2001 and growing up in similar tennis circles, Navarro and Anisimova`s first professional match was in 2022. Anisimova has won both of their previous encounters, with victories at Indian Wells in 2022 (6-2, 6-2) and in the Toronto semifinals last year (6-3, 2-6, 6-2).
Navarro faced immediate pressure from Krueger, who boasts five Top 20 wins in 2025. Krueger signaled her intent early by breaking Navarro`s serve in the very first game. The 20-year-old Krueger maintained a lead throughout the first set and extended it by breaking to go up 2-0 in the second set, showcasing strong backhands.
However, a double fault from Krueger allowed Navarro to get back into the match. Navarro, a US Open semifinalist, seized the opportunity. She broke back with a powerful forehand and then took a 5-3 lead in the second set with a return winner. From that point, Navarro took control, using effective drop shots to disrupt Krueger`s rhythm as Krueger`s unforced errors climbed to 40, outweighing her 17 winners.
Navarro strategically increased her aggression to turn the match around. She played a controlled first set with only five unforced errors and three winners. In the following two sets, she hit 18 winners while maintaining a positive ratio, committing only 11 more unforced errors.
Earlier in the day, Anisimova delivered an impressive performance against Putintseva, improving her head-to-head record against the Kazakhstani player to 3-1 (and 2-0 in Charleston, including a 6-1, 6-2 victory in the 2022 second round). The match presented a compelling contrast in styles, with Anisimova consistently aiming to accelerate rallies and Putintseva seeking to slow them down. Anisimova demonstrated confidence in extended rallies, patiently waiting for opportunities to unleash winning shots.
Putintseva`s typically reliable touch faltered at crucial moments. A drop shot landed slightly too high, and a lob went just beyond the baseline. Despite keeping both sets competitive, the 30-year-old Putintseva was ultimately undone by an uncharacteristic 25 unforced errors.
