Jessica Pegula thwarts Victoria Azarenka, joins Daria Kasatkina in Charleston semifinals

Jessica Pegula continued her spring resurgence at the Credit One Charleston Open, defeating Victoria Azarenka, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7) to reach the semifinals.

"That was an emotional rollercoaster," Pegula deadpanned during her on-court interview. "I don't know if you were on that wave with me but it was like that the entire match. I was playing really well and then I got frustrated when I didn't break in the second. She kind of turned it up a gear and I was able to get back in the third. But it was really up and down from the end of the second and start of the third.

"I thought we were playing some good tennis at the end, but obviously I had match points, 40-0 on her serve. So, that was frustrating, but I was trying to stay focused in order to win. I don't know, at the end, honestly, I don't know what happened. I have no idea, zero idea. I was trying to put the ball in the court, but trying not to miss, trying to go for my shots. That can be kind of confusing, really, when you're trying to think about all these things."

The top seed has struggled to find her best form since the start of 2024, splitting with coach David Witt after the Australian Open, but has looked stronger on the green clay since surviving a marathon encounter with fellow American Amanda Anisimova, saving four match points to overcome Azarenka in two hours and 36 minutes on Credit One Stadium.

Pegula will face Daria Kasatkina in the final four after the 2017 champion rallied from a set down to defeat Romanian Jacqueline Cristian, 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-3.

Pegula last played Azarenka, a former world No. 1, at the 2023 Australian Open, where the two-time Australian Open champion thwarted Pegula en route to the semifinals, but Charleston would be their first meeting on clay, with their 2021 Mutua Madrid Open encounter ending in a walkover for the former world No. 3.

Azarenka showed solid form through what is only her fourth-ever appearance in the WTA 500 tournament—her first coming all the way back in 2008—and the sentimental favorite thrilled the crowd in the third round when she managed three entertaining sets against Taylor Townsend to reach the last eight.

Pegula nonetheless enjoyed the stronger start against Azarenka on Friday, emerging from an exchange of three straight breaks to take the early lead, and saved a break point to serve out the opening set in 44 minutes behind an even 11 winners to unforced errors.

Azarenka looked in danger of losing a quick second set when she fell behind 1-3 and break points for a double-break deficit, but the No. 12 seed navigated three deuces to kick off her most emphatic stretch of the match.

Reeling off five straight games, Azarenka outrallied Pegula to serve her way to a deciding set, pumping her first as the American pulled a backhand wide.

Azarenka carried that momentum into the third, winning a sixth straight game to open with a break, but the match got more complicated as she and Pegula exchanged breaks for the next four games. Pegula interrupted the trend with a series of holds that took her to a 5-4 lead.

Playing well off on the back foot, Azarenka saved three break points in the middle of the set, but found herself down match points when it came time to serve to stay in the contest. Saving four, she landed a strong serve to level the match at five games apiece.

Pegula responded with a love hold of her own to put the pressure back on Azarenka, who gamely forced a final-set tiebreaker.

The Sudden Death remained deadlocked until the first changeover, when Azarenka rolled through the next three points to earn three match points. Pegula saved all three, and later a fourth with a powerful backhand winner to even the tiebreaker at 7-7.

The final two points were all Pegula, who volleyed her way to a fifth match point, and sealed the epic behind one last big serve, leaving Azarenka to throw her racquet in disgust.

Pegula leads next opponent Kasatkina 2-0 in their official head-to-head, dropping just one game to the Russian when they played last year in Tokyo.