Defending champion Jessica Pegula is finding her title defense at the Charleston Open anything but easy, as the tournament’s top seed survived yet another grueling three-set battle on Thursday.
Following Wednesday’s exhausting three-set victory against Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva, Pegula once again found herself in deep trouble before rallying to defeat Italy’s 14th-seeded Elisabetta Cocciaretto 1-6, 6-1, 7-6 (1). Thursday’s match clocked in at just over two hours, which was actually more than an hour shorter than her previous encounter.
The Italian player seized early control of the decisive third set, jumping ahead 4-1 and appearing to have Pegula on the ropes. However, the determined American showed her championship mettle by successfully defending her serve twice while breaking Cocciaretto’s serve to level the set. Pegula then held serve without dropping a point to force a tiebreaker, where she dominated to secure victory. Despite struggling with her break point conversion, managing just 3 of 14 opportunities, Pegula delivered when it mattered most with the crucial break in the final set.
Pegula’s next challenge will be seventh-seeded Russian Diana Shnaider, who dominated ninth-seeded Canadian Leylah Fernandez 6-3, 6-0. Other notable winners included third-seeded Belinda Bencic, who defeated Czech player Sara Bejlek 7-6 (4), 6-2, and fifth-seeded Madison Keys, who overcame Hungary’s Anna Bondar 6-2, 7-5.
The day also showcased compelling all-American matchups. McCartney Kessler managed to edge seventh-seeded Peyton Stearns 6-0, 3-6, 6-4, while 18-year-old fourth seed Iva Jovic eliminated 16th-seeded Sofia Kenin 7-5, 7-5. Ukraine’s Yuliia Starodubtseva dominated Mexico’s Renata Zarazua 6-1, 6-0, setting up a Friday quarterfinal clash with Kessler. Meanwhile, Jovic will face eighth-seeded Russian Anna Kalinskaya, who defeated Spain’s Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-2.
In other tournament action at the Copa Colsanitas in Bogota, Colombia, both the second and third seeds suffered surprising second-round defeats. Vavara Lapchenko upset second-seeded Spanish player Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-0, 2-6, 7-5, while Argentine Jazmin Ortenzi, currently ranked 206th globally, shocked third-seeded Colombian home favorite Camila Osorio 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5). Colombian Emiliana Arango also advanced by defeating Spain’s Guiomar Maristany Zuleta De Reales 7-5, 6-2.
Top-seeded Marie Bouzkova from the Czech Republic had an abbreviated day after winning the opening set 6-4 against Belgian opponent Hanne Vandewinkel, who was forced to retire from the match.
