CHARLESTON, S.C./WASHINGTON, April 4, 2026 (by Michael Dickens)
Jessica Pegula‘s road to her fourth consecutive Credit One Charleston Open semifinal has been nothing short of a colorful journey. It’s been one filled with a lot of scenic peaks and valleys. Fortunately, Pegula has managed to avoid driving over any serious pot holes.
In each of the past three days, the World No. 5 and defending champion from the United States has needed to go the distance – three sets – to beat Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan, No. 14 seed Elisabetta Cocciaretto of Italy and Russia’s seventh-seeded Diana Shnaider – all on Credit One Stadium – in order to reach the last four in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Characteristic of each match – and all of them have been scheduled during the afternoon – Pegula has dug herself into a hole by losing the first set. Then, as if on script, she has climbed out of trouble time after time after time and gone on to win each match in three sets.
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Friday, as the lead-off quarterfinal match on Credit One Stadium, the 32-year-old Pegula rode an imaginary rollercoaster to a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory over the World No. 19 and seventh seeded Shnaider, a day removed from celebrating her 22nd birthday.
“Another tough match today,” Pegula sighed during her news conference after her third victory of the week, this one in two hours and 10 minutes. “It was tough there for a while. I felt like Diana was at a really height level in the first set, and again, like the other matches, I think I was just able to hold on to my serve, start serving better, putting a little bit more pressure on the return.
“And yeah, I thought I played a really good second and third set.”
Pegula struck eight aces and hit 29 winners overall to 21 unforced errors, converted five of 17 break points and outpointed Shnaider 104-90. The former North Carolina State star countered with 34 winners but also made 28 errors. She was able to only break Pegula’s serve three times in nine opportunities.
Jess does it AGAIN 🤯
For the 3rd consecutive match this week @JPegula prevails in a 3-set thriller, defeating Shnaider to reach the semifinals!#Charleston pic.twitter.com/xICHwQnBkq
— Credit One Charleston Open (@CharlestonOpen) April 3, 2026
The American No. 2 who is 9-1 in three-set matches this season – and 18-4 since the US Open – was asked by a reporter during her news conference how her sense of humor was holding up, especially since she’s endured three consecutive three-set matches this week.
“It’s the only thing that can keep me alive,” Pegula said. “So, I think I was a little bit more frustrated today after the first set, because I was just like, ‘gosh, like seriously?’ Like, I’m going to have to, like win in three, like, officially now after losing the first set, and it’s like the same thing. I got all the break points, and I didn’t know if I was going to convert them and all this stuff. So, it’s been a little bit of a roller roaster for me. But, yeah, my sense of humor keeps me going, I guess.”
Three Sets 🤝 Jessica Pegula@JPegula digs deep to defeat Shnaider in a three set battle and heads back to the semifinals!#CharlestonOpen pic.twitter.com/yPSQfZu7Sg
— wta (@WTA) April 3, 2026
Earlier, after advancing to the last four on Saturday for the fourth time in six tournaments this year, where she will face World No. 16 and fourth seed Iva Jovic, who eased past World No. 22 and eighth seed Anna Kalinskaya of Russia, 6-3, 6-4, in one hour and 21 minutes – and who has yet to drop a set – Pegula admitted during her on-court interview: “Honestly, I didn’t think I had any more lives left there for a bit. I was getting really frustrated, it was very slow and wet and muggy and I felt like the ball wasn’t going anywhere. I got really mad at myself at the end of the first. I feel like it’s been the same the last few matches – I’ve just been able to hold on to my serve, find some rhythm and serve really well, and then just find ways to break. At the end of the third, I started to step in a little bit better and play more aggressive.”
Pegula has given credit throughout the week at LTP Daniel Island to her many friends and family who have come out to watch her matches on the main stadium court as a means of helping to keep her motivated. After defeating Shnaider on Friday, Pegula gave props to the Credit One Stadium crowd.
“When I feel like I have no energy left, you guys are the energy that keeps me going,” Pegula said. “I don’t outwardly show it during the match; I’m trying to conserve my own energy, but I feel it every step of the way.”
The semifinals are calling 📲
Iva Jovic defeats Kalinskaya 6-3, 6-4 and is into the final four in Charleston. #CharlestonOpen pic.twitter.com/5ifwsAFd3X
— wta (@WTA) April 3, 2026
Pegula, for one, will be pushed by the upstart, 18-year-old Jovic from Southern California, who in her first Charleston Open – and just third clay tournament at tour level – has become a fan favorite. Against the steady ball-striker Kalinskaya, Jovic managed to strike 17 winners and broke the Russian’s serve five times in eight tries during her straight-set quarterfinal victory. She outpointed her 63-47.
A year ago, Jovic was ranked No. 150. Now, she’s risen all the way to No. 16 after becoming the youngest player the reach the quarterfinals of her year’s first three events since Maria Sharapova in 2005.
“So far, I’m enjoying the clay. I’ve put in a lot work to become more comfortable on the surface and it’s been paying off,” Jovic said during her on-court interview after improving to 18-7 this season. “I’m excited to keep this one going.”
Later, during her news conference, Jovic added: “I thought it was a good match. Some twists and turns in both sets, but I think when it mattered most, I hunkered down and played [at a] good level. So, happy to be through.”
Dream debut continues for Iva Jovic 🙌
The 18-year-old defeats Kalinskaya 6-3, 6-4 to reach the #CharlestonOpen semifinals!
Next up: defending champ Pegula 👀 pic.twitter.com/9G4wlNagg3
— Credit One Charleston Open (@CharlestonOpen) April 3, 2026
Keys rallies over Bencic, into first semifinal this season
In a mid-afternoon battle of former Charleston Open champions, 2019 champion Madison Keys of the United States rallied from a set down against 2022 titlist Belinda Bencic of Switzerland and came on strong to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, in two hours and 22 minutes. With one last forehand winner – her 41st winner of the quarterfinal tussle – Friday’s victory lifted the World No. 18 and fifth-seeded Keys into her fourth career semifinal at the WTA 500 event – and first semifinal of the 2026 season.
After starting a little shaky in the opening set and letting some opportunities slip away, Keys gave a mature performance in all facets of her game in the final two sets. It added up to her 11th victory, while handing Bencic her fifth defeat in 19 outings. It was the second time this season Keys has come back to win after losing the first set and it was her fourth career victory over Bencic in six meetings.
“She started the first set a little errant, a little wild and really reigned her game back in,” Tennis Channel analyst Tracy Austin said in her commentary of the match to a mostly-U.S. audience. “With her coach and husband (Bjorn Fratangelo) not here, she figured it out by herself and that was really impressive. … She waited for the right shots to pull the trigger. Beating Belinda Bencic here is a very good result.”
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Besides outpointing Bencic 106-89, Keys broke her opponent’s serve six times in 12 opportunities and saved nine of 12 break points she faced from the Swiss star. Despite making 30 unforced errors, Keys remains alive on the green clay in the South Carolina Lowcountry.
“The crowd definitely helped me get through,” Keys said during her on-court interview after earning her first Top-20 triumph of the season. “It helped keep me in the match. Thank you for cheering for me. It’s such an honor to play here.”
PURE POWER!!! 😤@Madison_Keys fights back to take this match to a third set!#CharlestonOpen pic.twitter.com/WM71YLFRUz
— wta (@WTA) April 3, 2026
Keys was asked what makes Bencic such a tough opponent, regardless of whether it’s on a hard court, grass or clay. The American No. 5 said: “I think Belinda is always such a tough opponent because she holds the baseline so well and takes time away. On green clay, it definitely plays a little bit faster. It’s not a traditional clay court. So, I think today I was definitely trying to remember that and maybe try to not make it too much of a clay-court match. I tried to use my strengths and not get too wrapped up in trying to be a clay-courter.”
FIRST WTA SEMIFINAL 🤩
Yulia Starodubtseva is into her first tour level semifinal after defeating Kessler 6-4, 6-4. #CharlestonOpen pic.twitter.com/2L364Mzh7C
— wta (@WTA) April 4, 2026
On Saturday, Keys will be back on Credit One Stadium to face 89th-ranked Yuliia Starodubtseva of Ukraine, a former collegiate player at Old Dominion Univeristy, who defeated No. 53 McCartney Kessler of the United States, 6-4, 6-4, in one hour and 36 minutes.
Starodubtseva, who is making her Charleston Open debut this week, is through to her first tour-level semifinal. She’s won six of her last seven WTA Tour main-draw matches after reaching the third round of last month’s Miami Open as a qualifier. Against Kessler, the 26-year-old from Kakhovka, Ukraine, hit 16 winners, converted four of six break-point opportunities and outpointed her opponent 66-52.
“I can’t say I expected this [winning tonight], but I feel like I played great the whole tournament, pretty consistent,” Starodubtseva said during her news conference. “I’ve been happy with my game.”
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Around the Charleston Open
• The first doubles semifinal took place on Credit One Stadium Friday evening between No. 4 seeds Miyu Kato of Japan and Giuliana Olmos of Mexico, the only seeded team remaining among the last four, and unseeded Anna Bondar of Hungary and Magdalena Frech of Poland. The irony is Bondar faced Frech in the singles draw and won – then turned around later in the day and had to play doubles together. They’ve become an unbeatable combo.
As it happened, Bondar and Frech had the right stuff and knocked off Kato and Olmos, 6-1, 6-4, in 70 minutes to advance to Sunday’s final. They outpointed their opponents 60-36. This is the first time they’ve played together as a team and they’re 3-0.
• The other semifinal, which was originally scheduled for Saturday afternoon, was declared a walkover in favor of American pair Desirae Krawczyk and Caty McNally. That’s because Elisabetta Cocciaretto of Italy and Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan withdrew Friday evening from their semifinal due to a left leg injury for Cocciaretto.
The doubles final will take place Sunday afternoon prior to the singles championship.
• In place of the second doubles semifinal, an exhibition mixed doubles match will take place beginning at 11 a.m. local time. Krawczyk will be paired with Mike Bryan and McNally will play with Bob Bryan.
Friday’s Charleston Open results
Saturday’s Charleston Open order of play
By the numbers
• With her win today, World No. 5 Jessica Pegula has reached her fourth semifinal of the 2026 season, after reaching the last four at Brisbane, the Australian Open and Dubai.
• With three American semifinalists – Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys and Iva Jovic – it marks the eighth time in tournament history this has occurred. Last year, Pegula was joined by Sofia Kenin and Amanda Anisimova. It has also happened in 1973, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1983 and 2003.
“Quotable …”
“I have grown to not dislike clay. I think when I first started, it kind of always felt like it was slower. I think at the start of my career I kind of would try to change who I was as a tennis player. And I felt like I lost my own tennis identity throughout the clay swing, and then you get back on grass and you just kind of feel like everything is front-foot tennis.
“So, I think over the years I’ve stopped trying to make these drastic changes to how I play tennis. It’s just the small tweaks and how can you actually use the court to help your game.
“And, honestly, I think I almost like clay better than grass. Right? Crazy, I know!”
– Madison Keys of the United States, during her post-match news conference Friday, after defeating Belinda Bencic in three sets to advance to her fourth-career Charleston Open semifinal.
