Rising American teenager Iva Jovic is stepping into the biggest match of her young career with a clear mindset. Ahead of her semifinal showdown against top seed and defending champion Jessica Pegula at the Charleston Open, Jovic spoke about the balance between admiration and competitiveness.
How Jessica Pegula and Iva Jovic Reached the Charleston Semifinal
Pegula has battled her way through three consecutive three-set matches after dropping the opening set each time. This began with a grueling three-hour opening victory over Yulia Putintseva 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, followed by a dramatic escape against 14th-seeded Elisabetta Cocciaretto, where Pegula won in a third-set tiebreak. In the quarterfinals, she defeated seventh-seeded Diana Shnaider 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 to secure her spot in the final four.
Meanwhile, Jovic’s run to the semifinals has been one of the standout stories of the tournament. The 18-year-old has strung together composed performances to reach her first Charleston semifinal, where she will take on Pegula.
Entering as the fourth seed, Jovic opened her campaign with a straight-sets win over Alycia Parks before battling past former Grand Slam champion Sofia Kenin in the third round. In her quarterfinal match against eighth-seeded Anna Kalinskaya, Jovic closed out a 6-3, 6-4 victory.
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What Strategy Is Jovic Preparing to Counter Pegula’s Strengths?
Speaking after her semifinal-clinching victory, Jovic addressed the challenge of facing a fellow American she deeply respects. “I think obviously, if you don’t believe you can win when you step on the court, you’ve already lost,” she said. “So I definitely will have that belief in myself. But I have so much respect for Jess, and I’ve said many times she’s a player I’ve looked up to for many reasons. I think we play quite similarly as well.”
Jovic then outlined the tactical adjustments she believes will be necessary to counter Pegula’s strengths. “I think I’m going to have to mix it up a little bit. She’s one of the purest ball strikers, and when it’s in her zone she’s very dangerous. So I’m going to have to disrupt that and, again, get some serve-plus-one patterns. Try to get the free points where you can because she’s super solid once you get into the point.”
Looking ahead, the upcoming semifinal between Jovic and Pegula will be a rematch of their meeting earlier this year in Dubai, which the latter won in straight sets. The winner of this match will face either Yuliia Starodubtseva or fifth-seeded Madison Keys in the championship match.
