Charleston, April 4 || Anna Kalinskaya staged an upset win over Australian Open champion Madison Keys to return to the quarterfinals in Charleston for the first time since 2023.
Kalinskaya was a 6-2, 6-4 winner against No. 2 seed Keys, taking advantage of an erratic performance by the World No. 5 to score her first Top 10 victory in 10 months and advance to her second quarterfinals of the season.
Kalinskaya, who peaked at a career-high ranking of No. 11 last October on the back of a 2024 season that saw her reach a WTA 1000 final in Dubai, a WTA 500 final in Berlin, and the second week of two Grand Slam events, entered Charleston at 4-7 on the season and having won back-to-back matches at just one tournament, in Singapore in February (where she retired in the semifinals), reports WTA.
Kalinskaya will next face 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, who upset No. 5 seed Daria Kastkina in the nightcap, 6-3, 7-6(7).
Elsewhere, No. 1 seed Pegula defeated Ajla Tomljanovic to book a spot in her fifth quarterfinal of the season, 6-3, 6-2. The match was a far cry from the 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 semifinal that the two played in Austin last month, with Pegula winning five straight games in the middle of the match to pull away.
Pegula will will next take on defending champion Danielle Collins in the quarterfinals.