Jessica Pegula Outlasts Iva Jovic to Set Up Charleston Open Final Against Underdog Starodubtseva

By Eppe Franklyne

Defending champion Jessica Pegula has secured her spot in the WTA Charleston Open final after another grueling three-set battle on Saturday. The American top seed defeated fourth-seeded teenager Iva Jovic 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 in a match that lasted two hours and 35 minutes. Pegula’s victory maintains her incredible resilience this week, as she has been pushed to a deciding set in all four of her matches on the South Carolina clay.

The 32-year-old World No. 5 admitted she had hoped to close the match out in straight sets after taking the first, but ultimately embraced the “scenic route” to victory. “If I’m gonna win every match for the rest of my life, but it’s three sets, I’ll take the three sets,” Pegula told the Tennis Channel. Her win sets up a high-stakes Sunday final where she will chase her second title of the 2026 season, following her triumph in Dubai earlier this February.

Standing between Pegula and a title defense is the tournament’s breakout star, Yuliia Starodubtseva. The unseeded Ukrainian, ranked 89th in the world, produced a stunning upset in the other semifinal by dominanting fifth seed Madison Keys 6-1, 6-4. Starodubtseva, who only entered the main draw following a late withdrawal, dismantled Keys’ service game with four breaks in a 31-minute opening set. The 26-year-old neutralized the American’s power with heavy hitting to reach the first WTA final of her career.

While Jessica Pegula brings the experience of a seasoned champion into Sunday’s clash, Starodubtseva enters with the momentum of a “giant-killer” who has nothing to lose. For the Ukrainian, the journey from the brink of the qualifying rounds to a premier final is a testament to her claim that “hard work pays off.” For Pegula, the goal is simple: survive one more test to keep the Charleston trophy in American hands.

Do you think Yuliia Starodubtseva’s aggressive return game will be enough to disrupt Jessica Pegula’s rhythm, or will the defending champion’s experience in three-setters prove decisive once again?

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