After rain delay, Azarenka, Navarro storm into third round in Charleston; Wozniacki falls
Credit One Stadium, Credit One Charleston Open 2024 Credit One Charleston Open Day 5 at Credit One Stadium on April 03, 2024 in Charleston, South Carolina.
Victoria Azarenka wasn’t worried too much about Wednesday’s (April 3) persistent rain. Actually, she needed a nap anyway.
And the former world No.1 played dreamy tennis when she and Elisabetta Cocciaretto finally did take the court, some seven hours after they were meant to, the 34-year-old winning 6-1 6-2 in just over an hour to book a place in the third round of the Credit One Charleston Open.
Azarenka was in the same sort of form that took her to the Miami Open semifinals last week and awaits the winner of No.6 Ekaterina Alexandrova and Taylor Townsend in the round of 16.
MORE: Updated draws | Thursday order of play
Azarenka was greeted by her son, Leo, on court after her win, Leo telling the Althea Gibson Club Court crowd that he believed his mom could win the title here this year.
Former champion Caroline Wozniacki couldn’t match her fellow mom’s good fortune, falling to No.15 seed Anhelina Kalinina 6-2 6-3 inside Credit One Stadium.
No.10 seed Emma Navarro thrilled the home crowd with her return to Charleston, the world No.20 having little issue handling fellow American Katie Volynets 6-1 6-1.
Hometown hero 💜
Charleston native Emma Navarro is into the next round after defeating Volynets 6-1, 6-1. #CharlestonOpen pic.twitter.com/99LmpzyjdZ
— wta (@WTA) April 4, 2024
A year ago this same week, Navarro was ranked nearly 100 places below where she is in this week’s WTA rankings, at world No.118. She’ll be favored to get into the quarterfinals, facing Jaqueline Cristian on Thursday after the Romanian world No.83 stunned Madison Keys in round two.
No.4 seed and 2017 champion here Daria Kasatkina had a roller coaster affair in her match against American teen Ashlyn Krueger, but prevailed 6-3 0-6 6-1. It marks just the third time in Kasatkina’s career that she dropped a bagel set in the match but still won it.
Lucky loser Astra Sharma continued her strong run, beating No.16 seed Lesia Tsurenko 6-4 6-0 on Court 3.
Victorious Vika 🤙@vika7 speeds past Cocciaretto in 70 minutes in her opening match on the green clay to book her spot in the 3rd round!#CharlestonOpen pic.twitter.com/hc9UfYDE4Y
— Credit One Charleston Open (@CharlestonOpen) April 3, 2024
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