Matches don't get much better than this--Kasatkina wins the first quarterfinal of the day

Daria Kasatkina (photo by Daniel Ward)

They held very long rallies. They zinged balls into the corners. They hit lobs, they spun against the wind, they hit more (successful) drop shots than I could count. 4th seed Daria Kasatkina and Jaqueline Cristian put on a show that had everyone in the stands excited inside the Credit One Stadium on Daniel Island in today's opening Credit One Charleston Open singles quarterfinal. 

Jaqueline Cristian (photo by Daniel Ward)

Cristian, who is unseeded, was somewhat of a surprise quarterfinalist. She had defeated both 2019 Madison Keys and 10th seed and hometown favorite Emma Navarro. And--in a first set that lasted an hour--the Romanian player came from behind several times to win the tiebreak 7-4. Kasatkina won the second set 6-2, and the third set 6-3. However, these were all very competitive sets that featured thrilling, high-quality tennis from both women. The match, which lasted two hours and 42 minutes, will be remembered as one of the best matches of the tournament (maybe even the best)

Kasatkina, who won the tournament in 2017, will next face either top seed Jessica Pegula or 12th seed Victoria Azarenka. Kasatkina and 2021 champion Veronika Kudermetova are the only two former champions who are still in the draw.

photo by Daniel Ward