American tennis standout Jessica Pegula successfully defended her Charleston Open championship on Sunday, defeating Ukrainian player Yuliia Starodubtseva in straight sets with a commanding 6-2, 6-2 performance that lasted just 82 minutes.
The tournament’s top seed demonstrated exceptional defensive skills, successfully defending seven of eight break point situations while capitalizing on five of her six break point chances. This championship marks Pegula’s second tournament victory this season, following her Dubai triumph in February, and represents the 11th title of her professional career.
At 32 years old, Pegula now holds the WTA tour lead with 24 match victories this season, moving just ahead of Aryna Sabalenka in the win column.
The final represented a career milestone for 26-year-old Starodubtseva, who earned her spot in the main tournament draw after another competitor withdrew. Despite recording five consecutive victories to reach the championship match, she encountered difficulties on Sunday, managing only 11 winners while committing 41 unforced errors. Her impressive tournament run will elevate her world ranking to a personal-best 53rd position when updated Monday.
In other WTA action, top-seeded Marie Bouzkova captured the Copa Colsanitas championship in Bogota, Colombia, overcoming eighth-seeded Panna Udvardy 6-7 (7), 6-2, 6-2 in the final.
Bouzkova displayed remarkable resilience under pressure, saving 10 of 14 break point opportunities to secure her third WTA tour championship and first title earned outside her home country of Czech Republic. Udvardy, a Hungarian player ranked 92nd globally, was competing in her first professional final.
The Hungarian competitor mounted an impressive comeback in the opening set, rallying from a 5-3 deficit to force a tiebreaker. She then overcame a 5-0 tiebreaker disadvantage and saved two set points before claiming the first set. However, Bouzkova controlled the remainder of the match, winning 57.3% of her service points and claiming more than half of her return opportunities with 49 successful returns out of 96 attempts.
