Jessica Pegula survived a scare to pick up a victory against Yulia Putinseva in the first round of the Charleston Open.
The American needed over three hours to defeat the Kazakhstani player in three sets after losing the opening set 6-4.
Pegula was genuinely worried by Putinseva, but her campaign in Charleston will now continue where she is overwhelmingly the favourite to lift the title.
The 32-year-old’s hopes of winning the title were boosted as a top star announced their withdrawal from the competition.
Jessica Pegula receives major Charleston Open boost
Pegula arrived at the Charleston Open as the only player currently inside the top 10 of the WTA Tour rankings.
The American’s draw has blown even further open thanks to the late withdrawal from second seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.
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Alexandrova pulled out just before her match with Yuliia Starodubtseva and she was replaced by lucky loser Ekaterine Gorgodze.
Pegula’s next closest challenger at the WTA 500 event is now Belinda Bencic, who is currently ranked world number 11.
While there are still top players left in the draw, including in-form Iva Jovic, Pegula will be hopeful she can lift her second trophy of the year.
The stories of the Charleston Open so far
Despite its lack of top ranked players, the Charleston Open is often one of the most popular events on the circuit.
Fans have flocked in their thousands to the American event and they have been rewarded by the resurgence of several former Grand Slam winners.
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Bianca Andreescu and Sofia Kenin both picked up long-awaited WTA-level wins, while Paula Badosa has also found form on the American clay.
Andreescu and Badosa both received wild card entries into the tournament, so the Charleston Open’s confidence in the stars has been rewarded.