Ons Jabeur of Tunisia secured her spot in the Charleston Open final for the second consecutive year with a hard-fought victory over third-seeded Daria Kasatkina on Saturday. The second-seeded Jabeur battled against her Russian opponent in a rain-delayed match that ended after more than five hours, winning 7-5, 7-5.Jabeur, who lost in the final of this championship to Belinda Bencic last year, will have to wait until Sunday to find out who she will face in the final.
The second semifinal match between top-seeded Jessica Pegula and fourth-seeded Bencic was suspended due to rain, with Bencic leading in the first set but trailing in the second-set tiebreaker.Jabeur’s victory over Kasatkina marked her tenth semifinal win in twelve visits to the final four. She also extended her winning streak against her Russian opponent to five, with her last win over Kasatkina occurring in the Rome semifinals last season.Despite the inclement weather, Jabeur managed to stay focused and emerged victorious. The Tunisian had joked on Friday that she would try to get her supporters in Tunisia to send sunshine to the Credit One Tennis Center. However, the match was played under overcast and chilly conditions with several rain delays.Jabeur found herself trailing 5-3 in the first set when the match was delayed due to rain. After a delay of more than three hours, Jabeur returned to the court and won the next four games to take the set.
Weather permitting, Pegula and Bencic will resume their match, and the final will be played after suitable rest. Jabeur will be looking to go one better than last year and claim the Charleston Open title.
