BY JAMES BECK
CHARLESTON, S.C. – – Jessica Pegula never gave anyone else a chance to win this tournament once she stepped on the Credit One Charleston One center court Sunday afternoon. The final was almost over from the start.
Three games after the start, the fifth-ranked Pegula actually won the next 10 games against Ukrainian Yuliia Starodubtseva and had her chances to almost win the next two games. Pegula then finished the 82-minute job with a love service game to complete a 6-2, 6-2 romp past a player who had been expected to put up a fight against Pegula.
It was as if Pegula came fully alive and wanted to get the job done as quickly as possible. Yuliia never really got into the match. Pegula played almost perfect tennis, while Yuliia could hardly keep the ball in play.
YULIIA STRUGGED WITH HER GAME
The pre-match word had been that Starodubtseva could be very competitiveness. She wasn’t.
Of course, Pegula had something to do with the 26-year-old former Old Dominion University tennis player’s performance. After all, Starodubtseva had scored a straight-set victory in the semifinals over Madison Keys, a talented player who won the 2025 Australian Open.
The Ukrainian had won five straight victories to earn a berth in the final. She has to be happy about her share of the $2.3 million prize money.
RARE BACK-TO-BACK TITLES
Of course, the 32-year-old Pegula was thrilled by her success and the winner’s share of the big purse. She is only the second player to win back-to-back Charleston championships since the tournament moved to Daniel Island from Hilton Head Island in 2001. Serena Williams won the title in 2012 and 2013.
“It was a really tough week,” Pegula said about her four straight wins after losing the first sets.
“I was playing much better and feeling much better (Sunday).”
Pegula has played 200 consecutive weeks in the top 10.
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James Beck (843-795-3584, h)
