In 3 hours, 10 minutes, Pegula outlasts Putintseva in the longest win of her career

No. 1 seed Jessica Pegula opened her Credit One Charleston Open title protection by coming by way of a 3-hour, 10-minute showdown, surviving Yulia Putintseva 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 to succeed in the third spherical.

Charleston: Scores | Draws | Order of play

Pegula has made a behavior of residing — and successful — in three-set matches. She improved to 7-1 in deciding units this season and 16-4 since the US Open, persevering with a run constructed on absorbing stress and shutting late. This one even pushed her requirements. It stands as the longest tour-level win of her career, edging previous her 3:04 victory over Leylah Fernandez in the 2024 Cincinnati quarterfinals, and her longest match total since the 3:21 loss to Liudmila Samsonova in Berlin final yr — one other reminder that when matches drag deep, Pegula tends to be the one nonetheless standing.

“Even though it’s not ideal maybe for tomorrow, but I do feel like getting a three-hour match, I mean, you really break in the lungs,” Pegula informed press. (*3*)

Pegula had not misplaced a set to Putintseva in three earlier conferences, however this was their first encounter on clay — and the Kazakhstani participant, looking for her eighth career Top 5 win, pushed her to the restrict in a riveting tactical battle that may absolutely be a candidate for the finest match of the 2026 season. Putintseva held two factors for a 3-0 third-set lead, however finally Pegula delivered cool-headed shot choice on the greatest factors.

“Not a lot of words,” Pegula mentioned in her on-court interview. “All I could think was, ‘Welcome to clay-court season.’ Oh my God, it’s my first match on clay. Kudos to Yulia. She’s a really tricky opponent, especially on clay. She can be really crafty, use high balls, low balls, slices, drop shots, and I felt like she was just honestly playing with me there for quite a while. I’m not really sure how I found my way back. In the third, there were so many back-and-forth moments as well.”

Pegula will subsequent face No. 14 seed Elisabetta Cocciaretto, who defeated fortunate loser Yuan Yue 6-0, 7-5. Cocciaretto raced by way of the first 10 video games to guide 6-0, 4-0 earlier than Yuan mounted a late cost to win 5 video games in a row. Down 5-4 in the second set, the Italian steadied herself to take the final three video games of the match.

Meanwhile, No. 2 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova was pressured to withdraw from the event forward of her second-round match in opposition to Yuliia Starodubtseva.

“I am really sorry to share that I need to withdraw from Charleston this week,” Alexandrova mentioned in a press release. “I sustained a bit of an injury in Miami that needs some more attention and treatment. Charleston is one of my favorite weeks of the year, so I’m sad that I won’t be able to play in front of the fans tonight. I hope to see all of you next year!”

Starodubtseva will as an alternative face No. 164-ranked fortunate loser Ekaterine Gorgodze. The 34-year-old Georgian will return to a WTA primary draw for the first time since Prague 2022.

Set one: Blood, sweat and drop pictures

The stage was set for a traditional from the very first recreation, which noticed Pegula hammering backhands down the line and Putintseva weaving her net with drop pictures and passing pictures, finally holding after saving 4 break factors.

The World No. 72’s confidence in her technique was clear: pushing Pegula behind the baseline with crazy topspin, stretching her out broad with sharp angles, by no means giving her the similar ball twice and finally taking away the flat rhythm on which she thrives. From a break down at 2-1, Putintseva caught to her recreation plan, with out letting an enforced — and reluctant — medical timeout to deal with a bleeding finger distracting her. In the remaining recreation of the set, Putintseva’s excellent protection and selection elicited a slew of errors from the Pegula forehand as she broke for the set.

Set two: Pegula finds the reply in the forecourt

Pegula had been prevented from enjoying her most well-liked model of tennis in the first set, however the second noticed her take issues into her personal fingers. Although she had solely received six of 14 web factors in the opener, the Dubai champion stored on coming forwards — 21 instances in whole in the second set. Her successful ratio did not enhance — Pegula solely received 11 of these 21 factors — however the tactic efficiently shifted the match’s dynamic away from Putintseva controlling prolonged baseline rallies.

At 1-1, Pegula additionally started to efficiently get a deal with on the Putintseva serve, touchdown consecutive return winners for the first time. She did not handle to seize her opponent’s serve in that recreation, however it did foreshadow her finest return of the day quickly afterwards to interrupt for 5-2. Putintseva tried a late cost again, however a top-quality remaining recreation noticed the set conclude with a superb Pegula drop shot, adopted by an errant Putintseva one.

Set three: Back-and-forth momentum shifts

There was no trace of any lull or dip in high quality at the begin of the decider. The first three video games noticed Pegula triumph in a collection of lung-busting rallies, whereas Putintseva discovered some magic with an inside-out backhand angle and an beautiful sliced ​​winner down the line. But with two factors to carry for 3-0, Putintseva was punished for an excessively heavy drop shot, then netted a backhand. Pegula broke again with a crisp volley, and ran off 5 of the subsequent six video games for a 5-3 lead.

With the ending line in sight, a handful of errors crept again into Pegula’s baseline recreation — and, sensing she nonetheless had an opportunity, Putintseva redoubled her hustling efforts to peg the scoreline again to 5-5.

But in the dwelling stretch, it was shot choice that made the distinction. At 5-5, 15-15, Putintseva had labored Pegula backward and forward and had the courtroom open to place away an overhead. She opted for a too-cute drop shot smash — and paid the worth, as Pegula sprinted as much as put it away emphatically. Two factors later, Pegula extricated herself from an prolonged baseline duel by taking a daring drive volley out of the air, touchdown a winner completely in the nook.

On Pegula’s fourth break level of the recreation, the 15-15 level repeated itself. Perhaps aware of her mistaken shot selection earlier, Putintseva put all her would possibly into an tried backhand putaway — solely to ship it broad. The remaining break of the match was Pegula’s, and the prime seed served out the win to fifteen, changing her second match level with a easy one-two punch.