Ukrainian tennis player Yuliia Starodubtseva delivered a remarkable performance Saturday, defeating fifth-seeded Madison Keys 6-1, 6-4 to advance to the Charleston Open championship match. The former Old Dominion University player successfully defended six of eight break point opportunities during her impressive semifinal victory.
Starodubtseva’s path to the final has been unconventional – she originally entered the tournament as a qualifier but earned a spot in the main draw after another player withdrew. Now the Ukraine native has a chance to capture her first professional WTA championship.
Her opponent in the final will be top-seeded Jessica Pegula, who is seeking to defend her Charleston title. Pegula advanced with a hard-fought 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 victory over fourth-seeded Iva Jovic, recording 23 winning shots while committing 25 unforced errors. This marks the fourth consecutive match in Charleston where Pegula has needed three sets to secure victory.
In tournament action from Bogota, Colombia, top-seeded Czech player Marie Bouzkova reached the Copa Colsanitas final with a 7-6 (5), 6-2 win over Argentina’s Jazmin Ortenzi. Bouzkova successfully saved five of seven break point opportunities during the match.
After building a 5-2 advantage in the first set, Bouzkova saw Ortenzi mount a comeback that forced a tiebreaker. However, the Czech player regained control and dominated the second set to secure her championship match berth.
Bouzkova will meet eighth-seeded Hungarian player Panna Udvardy in the final. Udvardy staged a dramatic comeback to defeat Colombia’s Emiliana Arango 6-7 (8), 6-3, 7-6 (5). The local favorite Arango held a 5-2 lead in the deciding set before Udvardy rallied to win four consecutive games and claim the victory.
