Jessica Pegula clinches Charleston title defense over surprise finalist Yuliia Starodubtseva

CHARLESTON—Jessica Pegula stormed to her second straight title at the Credit One Charleston Open, defeating Yuliia Starodubtseva, 6-2, 6-2.

Pegula has now won 10 straight matches in Charleston, and becomes the first woman since Serena Williams (2013) to win back-to-back titles in Charleston. She saved her best performance for last against the surprise finalist, clinching the win in one hour and 22 minutes on Sunday.

The top seed had been made to battle throughout the week on Daniel Island, winning four consecutive three-set matches just to reach the final. In all four matches, she trailed by at least 0-2 in the deciding set.

“It's been a little bit of a roller coaster for me. But, yeah, my sense of humor keeps me going, I guess,” she said after defeating No. 7 seed Diana Shnaider in the quarterfinals.

Her semifinal win over fellow American Iva Jovic was the first match of the week in which she won the opening set, but Pegula proved far more efficient against Starodubtseva, an Old Dominion University alum playing her first WTA final.

The 26-year-old Ukrainian had enjoyed a fairytale week in Charleston, defeating Americans McCartney Kessler and 2019 champion Madison Keys in back-to-back matches to earn the best result of her career—one that is projected to elevate her into the Top 60 for the first time.

After trading holds early on Sunday’s championship match, Pegula scored a decisive break in the fifth game and all but ran away with the wain from there, winning 10 straight games to put herself up a set and three breaks.

Up 5-0 in the second set, Pegula earned championship point off a well-struck drop shot. But Starodubtseva put on a brave last stand, saving three championship points and navigating a marathon 12-minute game to break on her fourth opportunity—avoiding the second-set bagel.

Starodubtseva kept fighting, digging out of 0-30 deficit on her own serve to force Pegula to serve it out a second time, but Pegula made no mistake this time, serving the victory out at love.

For Pegula, the win guarantees she remains ranked inside the Top 5, having found her ranking under threat from countrywoman Amanda Anisimova at the start of the week—Anisimova ultimately withdrew from the tournament before the draw was made.

Starodubtseva will soldier on into the clay-court season despite the defeat, likely to find opportunities on a surface that favors her heavy topspin game. At last year’s Mutua Madrid Open, she reached the fourth round as a qualifier.

Pegula will take home $354,345 as part of the tournament’s record prize $2.5 million prize pot, one that matches the prize money on offer on the ATP 500 level.