Pegula Triumphs Over Starodubtseva with a Dominant Scoreline of 6-2, 6-2 to Secure the Charleston Open Title
Buffalo’s own Jessica Pegula, the top seed and reigning champion at the Credit One Charleston Open—a prestigious WTA 500 clay-court tournament—demonstrated her grit and skill throughout the rounds, marking her resilience as the world’s #5.
Entering the tournament for the first time, Yuliia Starodubtseva made waves by advancing to the final after dropping only one set. Notably, she eliminated former world #5 and the 2019 Charleston Open champion, Madison Keys, in her previous match. The 26-year-old Ukrainian, currently ranked #89, faced Pegula for the very first time.
Pegula won the toss and opted to receive. Starodubtseva displayed impressive strokes with a backhand drop shot and an ace to hold at 30. Pegula quickly leveled the score by hitting two stunning winners, holding her serve at 15.
Despite missing 3/5 first serves, Starodubtseva held her serve comfortably at 15, while Pegula mirrored that success, clinching her service game with a brilliant crosscourt backhand. The Ukrainian faltered in the fifth game, serving deep returns that led to three unforced errors.
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Pegula, despite missing 4/5 first serves, upheld her break with a solid hold at 15, taking the score to 4-2. Starodubtseva unleashed a fierce serve in the seventh game but succumbed to three unforced errors that cost her the game. Pegula capitalized on the opportunity, finishing the set when her opponent netted a forehand.
In the second set, Starodubtseva served first and initially thrived, making 5/6 first serves, but was broken after three consecutive backhand errors. Pegula faced challenges in her initial service game, encountering two deuce points and two break points, yet managed to consolidate the early break for 2-0.
The Ukrainian faltered with three consecutive serve misses, including a double fault, leading to another dropped serve. Pegula showcased her proficiency with a powerful forehand down the line, holding at love to extend her lead to 4-0.
Starodubtseva continued to struggle with 3/5 first serves and faced another service game loss due to errors, allowing Pegula to serve for the championship. While Pegula reached match point at 40-30 and created two additional match points, she could not convert as Starodubtseva stepped up her aggression. However, Starodubtseva earned four break points, converting when Pegula overcooked a backhand. Despite her challenges, Starodubtseva delivered a series of brilliant winners to consolidate the break, bringing the score to 2-5.
With composure, Pegula served for the match again, starting strong with a crosscourt forehand winner and finally converting her fourth match point when Starodubtseva mishit the return. During the post-match press conference, when asked about Starodubtseva’s biggest challenge, Pegula stated, “I think she really wants to dictate with her forehand. I aimed to attack her second serve to disrupt that pattern, especially on clay. I kept my strategy to pin her in the corners, making her go for too much.”
This victory underscores Pegula’s remarkable season as she surpasses world #1 Aryna Sabalenka in match wins, now boasting a total of twenty-four. With her second title of the season secured (following her triumph in Dubai), Pegula heads to Europe brimming with confidence and a newly acquired clay-court title as she sets her sights on Roland Garros.
