Jessica Pegula digs deep in Charleston: Eyes first clay title after edging Ekaterina Alexandrova

Jessica Pegula secured an All-American final at the Charleston Open after defeating Ekaterina Aleksandrova 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 and will now chase her third title of the season. This marks only her second final on clay, having lost the Madrid Open 2022 final to Ons Jabeur. She’ll have a solid chance to claim her first clay-court title on Sunday.

The world No. 4 came through a tough battle in the quarter-finals against defending champion Danielle Collins (7th seed), winning in three sets. Pegula had a dominant start, but little by little Alexandrova found her rhythm, setting up a rollercoaster semifinal where the home favourite’s experience ultimately proved decisive in securing the win. The American No. 2 now awaits the winner between Sofia Kenin and Amanda Anisimova.

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Pegula dominate first set

It was a dream start for Pegula, who quickly took control with an early break. Playing with confidence, she was especially sharp on key points, which made the difference. After saving two break points on her own serve, Pegula broke again to extend her lead.

It looked like a routine day at the office for the world No. 4, who raced to a 5-0 lead despite most games being tightly contested. Pegula saved four break points and converted three of four opportunities. On the other side, Aleksandrova struggled with her serve, landing just 48% of first serves in, compared to Pegula’s 73%.

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Though the American eased off slightly, allowing Aleksandrova to recover one of the breaks and hold serve once, Pegula didn't let the momentum shift. She closed out the set 6-2 with her serve. Despite the lopsided scoreline, the difference came down to Pegula’s stronger serving and ability to perform under pressure.

Alexandrova breaks back in set two

World No. 26 Alexandrova wasn’t ready to give up the match so easily and opened the second set by holding her serve. Once again, both players had break chances early on, but neither managed to convert during the first stretch of the set.

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With the score at 3-2 in Alexandrova’s favour, they played what was perhaps the most competitive game of the match. Serving at 0-40, Pegula won four straight points to earn the advantage, but Alexandrova remained solid from the baseline and eventually broke serve on her fifth opportunity of the game with a powerful backhand.

The Russian held firm on serve, and after another shaky service game from Pegula — once again facing triple break point — Alexandrova secured a second break to take the set 6-2 and level the match. Although she had a lower first serve percentage (56% to Pegula’s 65%), Alexandrova was more effective, winning 73% of her first-serve points compared to Pegula’s 60%.

Break battle on third set

After two consecutive games in which Pegula failed to hold serve, doubts were clear on the American’s side, while Alexandrova looked increasingly confident. Following a pair of exchanged breaks, the Russian was the first to hold serve in the third game—saving two break points.

The set turned into a break fest, with 6 breaks in the first 7 games. The world No. 26 capitalised on her opponent’s struggles, earning three consecutive breaks—making it five in a row without Pegula managing a single hold.

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At 4-3 for the Russian, Pegula finally held serve for the first time in the set, keeping the match alive at 4-4. Once again, Alexandrova saved a break point and shifted the pressure back to Pegula. In the end, Pegula showcased her class, delivered strong service games, and ultimately closed out the victory 6-2, 2-6, 7-5.

In the final, she awaits the winner between two of her compatriots: recent Qatar Open WTA 1000 champion Amanda Anisimova or former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, who also reached the French Open final back in 2022. If Pegula wins the title, she could rise to World No. 3 — overtaking Coco Gauff — and become the American No. 1.

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