Jessica Pegula kept her Charleston title defense alive with another three-set escape, defeating Diana Shnaider 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in 2 hours and 10 minutes at the Credit One Charleston Open. The top seed was forced to rally from a set down for the third straight match, then recovered again after falling behind 2-0 in the decider.
Pegula’s win sent her into the semifinals and extended one of the most resilient runs of her season. She is now 9-1 in three-set matches this year and 18-4 in matches since the US Open, showing the kind of late-match composure that has helped her survive repeated pressure in Charleston.
Pegula’s latest comeback follows a familiar pattern
The match followed the same script that has defined Pegula’s week on clay. She also erased a 2-0 deficit in the third set against Yulia Putintseva and came back from 4-1 down in the decider against Elisabetta Cocciaretto in earlier rounds.
Against Shnaider, she again had to wait for the match to turn in her favor. The seventh seed played a strong opening set and produced several sharp winners, but Pegula kept finding ways to reset the points and force errors as the contest wore on.
Pegula said the conditions made the battle more difficult. “Honestly, I didn’t think I had any more lives left there for a bit,” she said in her on-court interview. “I was getting really frustrated, it was very slow and wet and muggy and I felt like the ball wasn’t going anywhere.”
Key moments that shaped the match
A long hold from Shnaider early in the second set looked important after she survived seven deuces and saved four break points to level at 2-2. She used a service winner, aggressive one-two combinations, and a standout running exchange to stay alive in the game.
That momentum did not last long. Pegula answered with a quick hold to love, then broke Shnaider two games later when the Russian’s forehand drifted off target.
The third set opened with more disruption for both players, but Pegula took control after Shnaider’s 2-0 lead faded. The No. 1 seed reeled off the final six games, helped by cleaner first-strike tennis and stronger court positioning as the set progressed.
- Pegula saved break points at 3-2 in the third with a clean backhand down the line.
- Shnaider resisted on a few match points, including one long rally that lifted the crowd.
- Pegula closed the match with two service winners, sealing another comeback win.
Why Pegula kept improving late
Pegula said she focused on adjusting to the clay and on making better patterns as the match developed. “Today I was thinking of what I need to do better from yesterday, like what are things I need to work on on the clay,” she said to reporters.
Her ability to move through the ball earlier and step inside the court became more visible in the final set. That change helped her finish points sooner and reduce the openings Shnaider had created with her pace and shot-making earlier in the match.
Shnaider still showed enough quality to make the result competitive. She struck 12 winners and made only four unforced errors in the opening set, but her level dropped in the third as the unforced errors increased and Pegula’s steadiness began to dominate.
What comes next in Charleston
Pegula will now face No. 4 seed Iva Jovic in the semifinals, a player she recently beat in Dubai. The matchup gives Pegula another test against a seeded opponent as she tries to defend the Charleston crown.
Her run in Charleston has already shown a clear pattern: early trouble, patient recovery, and strong finishing under pressure. If that trend continues, Pegula remains a difficult opponent to stop on clay, especially in long matches where her fitness, serve, and match management continue to decide the biggest points.
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