Anisimova edges out Navarro to complete Charleston semifinal lineup

After the qualifications of Jessica Pegula and Ekaterina Alexandrova, Sofia Kenin continued her strong run at the WTA 500 in Charleston. The American has yet to drop a set so far, and after her victories against Bernarda Pera, Belinda Bencic, and Daria Kasatkina, the world No. 44 this time overcame Anna Kalinskaya (6-4, 6-3).

To conclude the quarterfinal schedule, an enticing matchup took place between Amanda Anisimova and Emma Navarro. Both players have already claimed a trophy this season—Anisimova at the WTA 1000 in Doha and Navarro at the WTA 500 in Mérida.

Anisimova had won their two previous encounters, but both were on hard courts. On clay, it was harder to predict the outcome, though Anisimova likely had more experience on the surface than Navarro.

In a tight match with numerous breaks (7 for Anisimova and 6 for Navarro), it was ultimately Anisimova who proved more resilient, despite a scare when her opponent broke back as she served for the semifinals at 6-5 in the second set.

Amanda Anisimova, ranked 16th in the WTA this week, had the final say after a one-sided tiebreak (7-1) to seal the match (7-5, 7-6), setting up a semifinal clash with Kenin. The other semifinal will feature Jessica Pegula against Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Speaking on court shortly after her victory, Anisimova shared her thoughts: "Emma is an incredible competitor and a great player. I wish this could have been a final.

"I was sorry to see that we had to face each other so early in the tournament. She plays really good tennis—it’s never easy to play against her.

"She always has a great attitude. It wasn’t simple, but I tried to stay positive and focus on the next point. I’m happy with how I played this match," she told WTA media.