Pegula fights back to reach Charleston semis; Kenin, Alexandrova, Anisimova also through

Jessica Pegula of United States returns a shot to Danielle Collins of United States during the Credit One Charleston Open at Credit One Stadium in Charleston, South Carolina. Pic/AFP

Top seed Jessica Pegula staged a brilliant comeback to keep her title hopes alive at the WTA Charleston Open, rallying from a set and a break down to oust defending champion Danielle Collins 1-6, 6-3, 6-0 in a dramatic quarterfinal clash on Friday.

Collins, known for her aggressive baseline game, came out firing, overwhelming Pegula to take the first set in just 33 minutes and breaking early in the second to go up 2-0. But Pegula showed resilience and composure, adjusting her tactics to turn the match on its head. "That was tough," Pegula admitted after the win. "She came out firing. I was not ready for that at all."

The world No. 4 credited her comeback to tactical variations and smarter serving. "She was returning unbelievable - just hitting winner after winner off my serve," Pegula said. "I had to figure out a way to get my placement a little bit better."

Pegula stormed through the remainder of the match, winning the last nine games to seal the victory and book a semifinal date with Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova.

The 11th seed continued her strong run in 2024, dispatching third-seeded Zheng Qinwen 6-1, 6-4. It was Alexandrova's third win in as many meetings against the Chinese star, and her third semifinal appearance of the season. She didn't face a single break point and converted three of five on Zheng, who required treatment for her right arm during the opening set.

In the other half of the draw, American Sofia Kenin returned to the semifinals for the first time since Tokyo 2023, defeating Anna Kalinskaya 6-4, 6-3. The 2020 Australian Open champion will now face fellow American Amanda Anisimova, who continued her solid form with a 7-5, 7-6(1) win over fourth seed Emma Navarro.

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