Emma Navarro Advances to Quarterfinals at Charleston Open After Tough Match

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Emma Navarro, the fourth seed and a local favorite, reached the quarterfinals of the Credit One Charleston Open for the first time in her career on April 4, 2025. After coming back from a set and a break down, Navarro defeated fellow American Ashlyn Krueger, the No. 15 seed, with a score of 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Navarro’s victory is particularly significant as she has competed in this tournament since her WTA main-draw debut as a wild card in 2019. “Being home and then having a tournament at home in that normal place of comfort and relaxed quality is definitely weird,” Navarro said during a press conference. “Definitely have to remind myself when I go to sleep at night, OK, I’m in a tournament. Like, gotta stay focused. Can’t totally relax.”

In the quarterfinals, Navarro will face her compatriot, Amanda Anisimova, the eighth seed, who secured her spot in the last eight with a win over No. 10 seed Yulia Putintseva, 6-4, 6-4. The match against Anisimova marks a rematch for Navarro, who has lost both previous meetings with her fellow American.

“Amanda is really tough,” Navarro noted. “Big serve, big groundstrokes. Kind of similar, I would say, to the way Ashlyn plays. So, game plan is probably going to stay pretty similar, just try to be really strong and aggressive on returns and maybe serve a little bit better.”

Navarro faced initial challenges with Krueger, who broke her serve in the very first game. Krueger maintained control during the first set until Navarro found her rhythm in the second. After breaking Krueger’s serve to go up 5-3, Navarro accelerated her game, closing out the match in decisive fashion.

“I think first set she was super in control and really couldn’t get footing in my return games, her service games,” Navarro explained. “Just came out in the second set and played really aggressively and wanted to push back against her.”

Earlier in the day, Anisimova showcased her skills against Putintseva with strong serving and effective rallies, leading her to victory and bolstering her confidence. Anisimova’s first serve percentage reached 80% during her match, allowing her to dominate and limit the number of break points against her.

The matchup between Anisimova and Navarro is drawing attention as both players have matched records on clay. Although Anisimova leads their head-to-head series 2-0, the results centered around hard courts, making this clay surface encounter unpredictable.

As the tournament progresses, Navarro is eager to embrace the familiar environment of the Charleston courts while challenging her rival for a spot in the semifinals. The match is set to start later this evening, promising a thrilling battle between two of America’s rising tennis talents.