Ninth-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia delivered a commanding performance on Friday, defeating China’s No. 3 seed Zheng Qinwen 6-1, 6-4 in the women’s singles quarterfinals at the Charleston Open in South Carolina.
Alexandrova, who had prevailed in their two previous encounters, quickly found her rhythm against Zheng. She dominated the first set, breaking Zheng’s serve twice to surge ahead with a 5-0 lead. Although Zheng managed to hold serve in the sixth game to avoid a shutout, Alexandrova sealed the set with a precise backhand down the line.
The second set saw a more resilient Zheng, but Alexandrova continued to apply pressure. An early break put the Russian ahead 2-0. Zheng fought back valiantly, earning three break points, but was unable to capitalize on them. After a wide return from Zheng in the final game, Alexandrova clinched the match, marking her third consecutive victory over the Chinese star.
During the second set, Zheng called for a medical timeout to address discomfort in her right elbow. Despite the treatment, she struggled with her first serve percentage and points won on both her first and second serves.
With this victory, Alexandrova advances to the semifinals, where she will face American top seed Jessica Pegula. The other semifinal matchup features American players Amanda Anisimova and Sofia Kenin, setting the stage for an exciting conclusion to the tournament.
