Top seed Pegula beats Azarenka to reach WTA Charleston semi-finals
Jessica Pegula returns a shot to Victoria Azarenka during Day 5 of the WTA 500 Credit One Charleston Open at Credit One Stadium on Friday. AFP
US top seed Jessica Pegula saved four match points to eliminate two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka on Friday and advance to the WTA Charleston Open semi-finals.
Pegula squandered four match points at the clay court event before denying Azarenka's four chances to advance and finally captured a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory after two hours and 36 minutes when Azarenka hit a forehand service return long.
"That was an emotional roller coaster," Pegula said. "It was like that the entire match. I was playing really well and then I got frustrated I didn't break in the second and she kind of turned it up a gear.
"I was able to get back in the third but it was really up and down, I feel like, from the end of the second, start of the third. "At the end, it was really windy so a lot of awkward points. It's tough when it's windy, playing with your nerves as well. I'm just happy I got through."
Pegula advanced to semi-final against fourth seed Daria Kasatkina, who battled back to beat Romania's Jaqueline Cristian 6-7 (4/7), 6-2, 6-3 after two hours and 42 minutes.
Miami Open champion Danielle Collins, who won twice on Thursday to reach the quarter-finals, ousted Belgian 11th seed Elise Mertens 6-3, 6-4, stretching the American's win streak to 11 matches.
Collins, who ousted 2023 champion Ons Jabeur and fellow American Sloane Stephens on Thursday, will face Greek third seed Maria Sakkari in the semi-finals after she eliminated ninth seed Veronika Kudermetova 6-2, 6-4.
Pegula equalized her rivalry with Azarenka at 3-3, but only after a tenacious third-set finish.
"We were playing some good tennis there at the end," Pegula said. "I had match points, 40-love on her serve, and that's frustrating but I was just trying to stay focused to win and at the end, I don't know what happened -- I have no idea.
After squandering her chances for the victory, then falling behind 6-3 in the tie-breaker, Pegula admitted she was less than confident.
"At 6-3, I didn't have any trust," she said. "I was like, 'Oh, it's crap. Probably over. Try and hang in there. Win this second point.' Honestly, that's what I was thinking. I know that sounds awful but it does release a little of the stress because I think I did play the tie-breaker a little nervy."
Pegula, who has never won a WTA clay-court crown, reached two prior semi-finals this year in Adelaide and San Diego. Her most recent final was last November at the WTA Finals and her most recent of four career WTA titles was last October at Seoul.
Meanwhile, top-seed Ben Shelton beat Brandon Nakashima 7-5, 7-6 (9) on Friday to advance to the semifinals of the US Men’s Clay Court Championship.
"Definitely not an easy matchup today with the way Brandon was serving and playing,” Shelton said. "He made things really difficulty and I was definitely feeling the pressure in that tie-break. But I’m really happy to get through.”
The 21-year-old Shelton advanced to his fifth tour-level semifinal and improved to 17-1 against players outside of the top 50 in the ATP Rankings since the ATP Masters 1000 in Toronto in August.
Shelton will face fourth-seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry, last year’s runner-up, in the semifinals. Etcheverry led Michael Mmoh 6-3, 0-1 when Mmoh retired because of an injury. This will be the fourth ATP tour semifinal for Etcheverry, which all of them coming on clay.
In other quarterfinal action Friday, defending champion Frances Tiafoe advanced with a 7-6 (8), 6-4 victory over Jordan Thompson.
"I thought it was a really good match tonight,” Tiafoe said.
"First set was crucial, really, really tough. He broke me there at 5-5, I played a great game to break back.
"I was down in the tie-break most of the time and got out of there, and I played a pretty good second set. It was a long two-set match, but I’m happy to be in the semis here once again.”
Tiafoe will meet Luciano Darderi in his 14th tour-level semifinal. Darderi beat Marcos Giron 6-0, 6-4.
Agencies
