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

Danielle Collins plays two matches in one day and extends her match win streak to ten

Danielle Collins (photo by Daniel Ward)

It was a busy day for Miami champion Danielle Collins. She had to play two singles matches at the Credit One Charleston Open because most of yesterday's play was rained out. This morning, Collins played her second round match against defending champion and 2nd seed Ons Jabeur, and won it, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3. It was one of those matches in which the crowd was more or less cheering for both players; Charleston fans are very big on Collins, but they also have strong positive feelings for Jabeur.

After the match, Jabeur said: "I think it was up-and-down match. I mean, it's tough to play players that have confidence, and Danielle is playing really good. I wish I could get the win today, but I feel like already taking a set from her was a good start....It's obviously sometimes very, very difficult when she returns very well. You don't know if you need to hit hard the ball or you need to make more serves in. And sometimes it's really frustrating when you think you serve really well and she has a good return."

This evening, Collins took out 2016 champion Sloane Stephens, 6-2, 6-2, and advanced to the quarterfinals. In the first round, Collins defeated Paula Badosa.

In other "catch up" second round play, wild card (and 5th seed) Beatriz Haddad Maia defeated Caroline Dolehide, Elise Mertens defeated Varvara Gracheva, Elina Svitolina defeated Daria Saville, and Sloane Stephens defeated Leylah Fernandez for the first time.

Veronika Kudermetova (photo by Daniel Ward)

In the remaining round of 16 matches, top seed Jessica Pegula defeated Magda Linette, Victoria Azarenka defeated Taylor Townsend, 3rd seed Maria Sakkari defeated lucky loser Astra Sharma, and Daria Kasatkina defeated Anhelina Kalinina. 2021 champion Veronika Kudermetova defeated Beatriz Haddad Maia, and Elise Mertens defeated Elina Svitolina. 

Jaqueline Cristian (photo by Daniel Ward)

Local favorite Emma Navarro lost to Jaqueline Cristian, who had already defeated 2019 champion Madison Keys. Cristian defeated Navarro 6-3, 5-7, 6-1; the match lasted almost two and a half hours. It should be noted that Cristian had a first serve win percentage of 74.

Cristian, who is ranked number 83 in the world, has reached only one other clay court quarterfinal--Palermo, in 2021.

Here is the quarterfinal singles draw:

Jessica Pegula (1) vs. Victoria Azaarenka (12)
Daria Kasatkina (4) vs. Jaqueline Cristian
Veronika Kudermetova (9) vs. Maria Sakkari (3)
Elise Mertens (11) vs. Danielle Collins

Two long-time media volunteers win 2024 Charleston Open Volunteers of the Year award

Sal Kindel (l) and Lynn Coursey (photo by Daniel Ward)

This year’s Credit One Charleston Open Volunteers of the Year, Lynn Coursey and Sal Kindel, both volunteer for the media at the tournament, and some of us have known them for many years. Coursey, in fact, has a bit of a media cult following because of her “She’s…here!" introduction as each player enters the the room for her press conference.

Coursey and Kindel (photo by Daniel Ward)

Both Coursey and Kindel have worked as Charleston Open volunteers for a long time—Coursey for 20 years, and Kindel for 18. “We both started out as just regular volunteers,” Coursey explained, and the two ladies who were leading it when I moved up to be co-chair—one of them left. Nancy asked me to move up—she got shift leader, so I moved up. When Nancy got the job at the clubhouse, Sal moved up.”

Kindel became involved as a volunteer when her daughter was on the ball crew. She started at the ticket office, then—when there was a shortage among media volunteers—she was invited to cover for a week, and she never left.

Coursey’s story is different. She moved to Daniel Island in order to play tennis at the Charleson Open facility. “The second year when I came around, they had a little fan thing downtown, and all the players were on the stand, and it was just so much fun. I took a day off from work and volunteered with the USTA, and fell in love with it.” That was it for her—she became a tournament volunteer.

“It’s like a camp,” Coursey said. “You meet the same people every year, but you look forward to seeing them again.” “And it’s like you never left,” Kindel added.

Coursey’s favorite part of media volunteering is “seeing how it works, what it takes to make it work and make it work so well.”

“The people, for sure,” Kindel added, as her favorite part of volunteering. “And getting to see tennis up close.”

The two honored volunteers have many great memories of their time with the media, but—when asked to single out one or two—Kindel chose the infamous 2017 hailstorm evacuation. The media used to be housed in a temporary building we called the media tent, and when strong thunderstorms would come along, it would shake. In 2017, there was a hailstorm in addition to the thunderstorm, and we were told to evacuate, but first, we were given trash bags to wear to protect us from the rain. We were a sight.

Sal serving peak trash bag fashion (photo by Diane Elayne Dees)

Her other choice was “Jankovic, when we were in the clubhouse during the storm. She was going from table to table, thanking everyone, and sharing a gift. Very, very gracious.”
 
Coursey’s standout memory was also about Jelena Jankovic. She got to interview the Serbian star about what she would do if she were a volunteer. (JJ fans—I know that your imaginations are running wild right now.)

“I can’t imagine not being here,” Coursey said, and Kindel agreed: “People don’t understand why we take five days off of work.”

Both women said that anyone thinking about volunteering for media duties should just “give it a try” for “just one day,” and it would become clear why they take on the job year after year.

“I was on the subway in New York, going to the U.S. Open with my swag on,” Coursey recalled, “and a girl across the subway, from Georgia, saw it and asked me about it, and literally, the next year, she signed up—because I was on the subway.”

Although the media volunteers don’t regularly see each other outside of the tournament, they do get together for dinner before the event, and they have a party when the tournament is over. “I wouldn’t have found all the friends that we’ve made doing this,” Coursey said.

And as a member of the tennis media, I can attest to the fact that this year’s Volunteers of the Year recipients are more than worthy of the honor.They and their fellow volunteers do so many things for us—in the press room and in the stadium—and they do it all with style, dedication and humor.

Emma Navarro moves easily into the Charleston Open round of 16

Emma Navarro (photo by Daniel Ward)

It rained most of the day in Charleston, and play on Daniel Island didn't commence until a little after 5 p.m. All of the day matches had to be canceled, but the evening and night matches went on. 10th seed Emma Navarro, playing second on the Credit One Stadium court, defeated Katie Volynets 6-1, 6-1. Prior to tonight's match, Navarro had been 0-3 against Volynets. Next for the 10th seed is Jaqueline Cristian, who upset 2019 champion Madison Keys last night to get the biggest win of her career.

Anhelina Kalinina (photo by Daniel Ward)

Earlier in the evening, Anhelina Kalinina defeated 2011 champion Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 6-3. Kalinina changed the pace frequently, and used her deft footwork to take Wozniacki out of her comfort zone. The Ukrainian player also beat Wozniacki in Miami a couple of weeks ago. Kalinina's next opponent will be 2017 champion Daria Kasatkina, who--tonight--defeated Ashlyn Krueger 6-3, 0-6, 6-1.

Victoria Azarenka (photo by Daniel Ward)

In the meantime, lucky loser Astra Sharma defeated Lesia Tsurenko 6-4, 6-0, and Victoria Azarenka defeated Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-1, 6-2. Also tonight, 2021 champion Veronika Kudermetova defeated wild card Shelby Rogers 7-6, 6-

As I write this, the match featuring Taylor Townsend and Ekaterina Alexandrova is still in progress.

Top seed Pegula takes the long road to the third round in Charleston

Jessica Pegula (photo by Daniel Ward)

The featured match tonight in Charleston lasted almost two hours and twenty-seven minutes, but--to observers--it sometimes felt as if it were dragging on even longer. Top seed Jessica Pegula and Amanda Anisimova experienced so many momentum swings that it was difficult to get a read on what was taking place.

Anisimova took the first set 6-3 in a pretty decisive fashion, going up 5-0 before Pegula was able to assert herself. The former world number 25 won that set 6-3, but then had to face a determined top seed. To make her job even harder, she also sustained a back injury. Pegula took that set 6-4. The third set was not unlike the second, in that the momentum swings occurred so frequently. It was also a tense set, in which Anisimova had to keep coming from behind. 

Throughout the match, Pegula was able to flummox her opponent with returns that stayed very low, and she had a consistently excellent read on Anisimova's shot placement. But Anisimova didn't make it easy for her. There was some stunning shot-making on both sides, but there were also a lot of errors. The third set, probably to no one's surprise, went to a tiebreak, which Pegula won. 

Amanda Anisimova (photo by Daniel Ward)

 

Later, at her press conference, Pegula confirmed that she hit as much as she could to Anisimova's forehand because "You don't want to go to her backhand. Her backhand is money. I always say I think she has the best backhand on tour....I don't really want to go there much." 

Pegula also talked about her determination to move her opponent around the court. "When she's set up, it's really tough, and she hits one of the cleanest balls out there and can really overpower you. So you definitely want to try and keep her moving as much as possible."

Also today, 3rd seed Maria Sakkari defeated Victoriya Tomova 6-3, 6-3, and 2016 champion Sloane Stephens defeated Magdalena Frech 6-0, 6-2. And Astra Sharma, who won the 2021 MUSC Health Women's Open 250 in Charleston, won her second round match against Arina Rodionova. Also winning today were Magda Linette, Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Caroline Dolehide, Ashton Krueger, and Taylor Townsend. Linette upset 13th seed Dayana Yastremska, and Townsend defeated Sofia Kenin. 

Danielle Collins (photo by Daniel Ward)

 

And then there was Danielle Collins. The newly crowned Miami champion had to face former world number 2 Paula Badosa, who has struggled on and off for months with a back injury. Badosa hit some very fast, powerful serves, which were often returned as fast and as powerfully by Collins, who occasionally left the Spanish star with a "What do I have to do?" expression on her face. Collins, who hit eight aces, won that match 6-1, 6-4. 

Paula Badosa (photo by Daniel Ward)

Finally, when the deejay broke out "Respect" as Jaqueline Cristian upset 2019 champion Madison Keys, it was a really special moment for the Romanian player. Cristian, making her Charleston debut, got the biggest win of her career, and her second top 20 victory. She had already defeated Elena Rybakina, who was ranked nunber 20 in the world at the time, and tonight she beat the world number 18 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Early in the evening, I enjoyed the final part of an interview that Tracy Austin, Alison Riske-Amritraj and Monica Puig did with Ellen Perez, and I stuck around to hear them talk about the singles draw. They all had really good things to say about both Emma Navarro and Danielle Collins, and Riske-Amritraj and Puig talked about their friendships with Collins. Earlier in the day, Riske-Amritraj walked into Collins' press conference and they had a reunion.

Top Charleston seeds talk with the media

clockwise, from top: Emma Navarro, Jessica Pegula, Victoria Azarenka, Elina Svitolina, Maria Sakkari, Beatriz Haddad Maia. Center: Ons Jabeur (all photos by Daniel Ward)

Seven of the top seeds participated in Media Day at the Credit One Charleston Open today, and they talked about everything from adjusting to clay courts to motherhood to their love of the tournament, as well as mental health, living in the now, and--a boat named Ons.

Emma Navarro told us that “Coming back this year, I feel like I’ve really earned my spot.” The 10th seed said that she felt like she had a level to work toward, and “I kind of took a slower approach, a slower and more gradual approach.”

“From the outside," she said, "it may seem like it happened overnight,..." but it was a deliberate progression, and one which has made her feel comfortable. Navarro said that she and her coach have taken this approach since she was 12, with her mastering one step before moving to the next.

She added that winning a title has boosted her confidence, and--while it's not her favorite thing--she's leaning into being more in the spotlight.

I am a very fighting girl.

Wild card Beatriz Haddad Maia told us about how nice it was to stay with a local family when she was in Charleston before, and she is still in touch wih that family. The Brazilian, famous for her long three-set matches, said that "I am a very fighting girl.... “I try to not think in the fatigue…I try not to expend energy on other things." Haddad Maia said that she is working on being "more constant in matches."

Vika Azarenka talked about her fondness for the tournament, and about her activism for mothers on the tour. Not all of them, she explained, have her level of financial security and they need support. She also talked about her son, who is now old enough to appreciate tennis, and how she wants to model for him the degree of hard work that is required if one is to be a serious athlete. 

Azarenka  also called for more empathy online and in general public discourse. 

She revealed that she not only refuses to look at the draw, but that she refuses to participate in any WTA draw ceremony, saying that she will do anything to help the tour except for that. “I actually despise the projections of people who are doing it…most of the time they’re wrong.” The two-time Australian Open champion said that she wants to live in the now, and she can't do that if she's looking ahead at the names of her upcoming opponents.

Jess Pegula told us that she has been working on her serve this year. She, too, talked about how much the tournament means to her, Pegula said that players are eager to give back to the event because they are so appreciative of it. And while--in some ways--the Charleston Open is a "home" event for her, she said that she also feels at home in several other locations because she has moved around so much.

Maria Sakkari told us that she likes the green clay as a transitional surface—it's like a hard court, but there is still sliding and having to be more patient. Each player was asked to report a question that they had never been asked by the media. All (but one) of them struggled with this topic, and Sakkari thought about it, rambled a bit, then told the questioner "I'll get back to you--you're here for a few days? It's a deal!"

It's not always good days....

The one player who was quick to answer the question about the unasked question was Elina Svitolina. It didn't take her long to say that she wished that more questions were asked about players' mental health. "It's not always good days...for the players," she added.

Like those before her, Switolina was quick to praise the Credit One Charleston Open, saying that she has "great memories from the amazing organization of this tournament." She also praised the Charleston crowds for their enthusiasm--not just for big matches, but even for practice sessions. "Players," she said, "are happy to be here."

Svitolina also talked about the challenges of playing on clay. "You have to always be on the front foot, " she explained, because there is "no room for a misstep." 

Asked what she--a very busy woman--does in her spare time, Svitolina answered that "I always try to use it in a beneficial way for me. I like to learn new things and discover something that I'm not good in." The Ukrainian star watches educational videos and research videos so that she can learn things that can help her with tennis, with managing her foundations, and "to be a good mom."  

Finally, we heard from defending champion Ons Jabeur. Fans may recall that, in 2022, Jabeur said that if she won the tournament, she wanted to do the photo shoot at Cypress Gardens because of its prominent place in the book and film, The Notebook. Jabeur came close that year--she made it to the final, but lost the title to Belinda Bencic. Last year, Jabeur won (with Bencic taking home the runner-up trophy), but there was no time for a Cypress Gardens photo shoot.

What should be done, she was asked, if she defends her title this year? Her latest Cypress Gardens idea? Name a boat the Credit One Ons Jabeur! 

It turns out that the Tunisian star visited the gardens on Saturday and may make another visit before she leaves Charleston, a city in which she said she would consider living. "When I play here, I feel amazing because the crowd, they bring something out in me."

Asked what--given the context of her injury-riddled season--it feels like to be the defending champion, Jabeur revealed that "With what's happened lately--doesn't help much."

And when asked if she has expectations for the clay season, Jabeur replied, "I hate expectations."  She added, though, that she thinks that the surface will be better for her injured knee than the hard courts have been this year. She also said that she's having "excellent practices." 

Previewing the Credit One Charleston Open

photo by Diane Elayne Dees

 

Six former champions--Caroline Wozniacki (2011), Sloane Stephens (2016), Daria Kasatkina (2017), Madison Keys (2019), Veronika Kudermetova (2021), and Ons Jabeur (2023)--will compete in the 2024 Credit One Charleston Open. The top seed is Jessica Pegula, followed by Jabeur, Maria Sakkari, Kasatkina, and wild card Beatriz Haddad Maia.

Unfortunately, 2021 French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova had to withdraw from the field.

And of note: Ekaterina Makarova, who retired from professional tennis in 2020, is back, and will be competing in the qualifying rounds on March 30 and 31. Makarova is a former world number 8 in singles and world number 1 in doubles.

You can see the entire player field (minus qualifiers) here.

Some of the hottest competitors on the tour right now--including Danielle Collins (who, tomorrow, will contend for the Miami title), Emma Navarro, Anna Kalinskaya, Anhelina Kalinina, Dayana Yastremska, and Taylor Townsend--will be in Charleston. Paula Badosa will continue her comeback from injury at the Charleston Open, and Amanda Anisimova will make her return to the courts.

The Credit One Charleston Open, with its state-of-the-art Credit One Stadium, is the largest women's-only tournament in North America, and attracts 90,000 fans annually. The event is also the only women's clay court tournament in North America.

photo by Diane Elayne Dees

Last year, for the first time in the tournament's history, the previous year's finalists once again were the last two standing. In 2022, Belinda Bencic won the event, and Ons Jabeur was the runner-up. In 2024, they switched roles, with Jabeur prevailing as the champion.

The top doubles seeds in 2024 are Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Ellen Perez, followed by second seeds Caroline Dolehide and Desirae Krawczyk and third seeds Miyu Kato and Aldila Sutjiadi.

The Charleston Open is played on green clay, which generally plays a bit faster than red clay. It is also the home of the Althea Gibson Club Court, which is a favorite among both players and fans. The event was played in Hilton Head for 28 years, then moved to Daniel Island in 2001. It was the Family Circle Cup for many years, then the Volvo Car Open, and the title sponsor is now Credit One Bank.

The initial Charleston tournament was played in 1973, and it was the first women's tournament to be broadcast on network television.