USA's Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro made a positive start in Charleston and have routinely clinched a round-of-16 spot at their home tournament.
Pegula, who is the top-seeded player this week, annihilated 215th-ranked qualifier Iryna Shymanovich 6-0 6-3. The 2024 US Open runner-up wasted no time on the court, winning the opening eight games of the match. While the Belarusian managed to get the break back and tie the second set to two games apiece, the American tennis star remained focused and won four of the next five games to get the job done in two sets.
For a place in the Charleston quarterfinal, Pegula will play against Ajla Tomljanovic or Peyton Stearns.
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Navarro also won her opener
Navarro, the No. 4 seed, wasn't as convincing as Pegula but she still completed a two-set win after ousting fellow American Hailey Baptiste 6-4 6-3.
Early in the first set, the fourth seed found herself trailing after losing her serve in the fifth game. However, her response was quick as she claimed breaks in the sixth and 10th games to overturn the deficit and bag the opener.
In the second set, only one break was seen and it was Navarro who got it in the fourth game. But it is worth mentioning that Navarro faced break points in each of her five service games but saved all of Baptiste's 12 break points.
And all of that was witnessed by the 23-year-old's grandmother
"Theres Grammy! I get to meet her in person. Shes so beautiful. Look at her, Grammys here watching you in person," Navarro said.
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