CHARLESTON, S.C. — Prime-seeded Jessica Pegula saved 4 match factors in a third-set tiebreaker and beat Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7) Friday to achieve the Charleston Open semifinals.
Danielle Collins, the Miami Open champion, gained her Eleventh straight match with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Elise Mertens.
Pegula squandered 4 match factors of her personal, up 5-4 within the closing set in opposition to Azarenka, a two-time Australian Open champion. However tied 7-7 within the tiebreaker, Azarenka missed large with Pegula on the web, then pushed a service return lengthy.
“I used to be enjoying nicely right this moment, however you understand what? Stuff occurs and you have to determine it out,” Pegula mentioned. “And I used to be in a position to determine it right this moment and I am simply going to make use of that feeling, that confidence.”
The fifth-ranked Pegula additionally reached the semifinals in Charleston final yr however misplaced to Belinda Bencic.
Pegula will play Daria Kasatkina on Saturday for a spot within the closing. The Eleventh-ranked Kasatkina defeated Jaqueline Cristian 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-3.
Collins had little drama in beating Mertens, reaching the semifinals for her best-ever exhibiting in three Charleston appearances.
“I am staying targeted and simply attempting my butt off, that is all there may be to it,” mentioned Collins, who introduced that this might be her closing yr on tour. “I’ll try to preserve this going so long as I can. Fingers crossed.”
Collins will tackle seventh-ranked Maria Sakkari on Saturday. Sakkari eradicated 2021 Charleston champion Veronika Kudermetova 6-2, 6-4.
It was in Charleston on the inexperienced clay that Kasatkina, then 19, gained her first WTA Tour title in 2017. She has added 5 extra singles titles since, although none since 2022.
Kasatkina mentioned Cristian’s play and the windy circumstances had been troublesome to deal with early on.
“Actually, I used to be able to go house,” Kasatkina mentioned. “I needed to discover the methods to win factors, which was very powerful. I used to be very happy with myself.”
Kasatkina improved to 17-3 on the Charleston Open, making the semifinals for the second straight yr. She misplaced to eventual champion Ons Jabeur a yr in the past.
