Emma Navarro didn't have the easiest day at the office on Thursday but ultimately managed to reach the Charleston Open quarterfinal, while Jessica Pegula got the job done without much drama.
Navarro, seeded at No. 4 and whose father owns the Charleston tournament, took on fellow American Ashlyn Krueger. At one point in the match, the 2024 US Open semifinalist found herself trailing by a set and a break but dug herself out of the hole and escaped with a 4-6 6-4 6-2 victory.
Meanwhile, top-seeded Pegula routed two-time Wimbledon quarterfinalist Ajla Tomljanovic 6-3 6-2.
Who are Navarro and Pegula's next opponents?
For a place in the Charleston semifinal, Navarro will take on fellow American and No. 8 seed Amanda Anisimova. In February, Anisimova became a WTA 1000 champion in Doha and there is no doubt that the upcoming match between two Americans will draw lots of attention.
So far, they have met twice and Anisimova won both of those meetings after clinching wins in 2022 Indian Wells and 2024 Toronto. The No. 4 Charleston seed respects her next opponent but that doesn't mean that she won't feel good about her chances.
Im excited. She plays a really big game. Strong serve. Strong from the baseline. Ill try to push back against that. Excited to come out here and play in front of you guys again. Its been a blast. Lets keep it rolling," Navarro said.
On the other side, Pegula is also set to meet a fellow American - Danielle Collins. Undoubtedly, it will be another Charleston quarterfinal that will draw lots of interest.
Pegula leads their head-to-head 5-0.
