Madison Keys, Amanda Anisimova, and defending champion Danielle Collins made a strong start for the USA in the second round of the WTA 500 Credit One Charleston Open. All three American players won their matches on Tuesday evening, advancing to the Round of 16.
Keys, the No. 2 seed, faced the most challenging match among the three but still managed a straight-set victory. The reigning Australian Open runner-up needed to convert eight match points before finally defeating fellow American Caroline Dolehide 6-3, 7-6(4).
Keys was leading by a set and a break, holding her first four match points at 6-3, 5-4. However, Dolehide fought back, saving those chances and two more in the subsequent game, leveling the second set in a powerful exchange of shots.
Currently at a career-high ranking of World No. 5, Keys maintained her composure in the tiebreak to eventually overcome her compatriot. This win marks her 20th match victory of the year.
Defending champion Collins also played on Credit One Stadium, starting her title defense with a victory over another American player. The No. 7 seed Collins defeated Robin Montgomery 6-3, 6-1 in 1 hour and 9 minutes, extending her winning streak in Charleston to seven matches.
Collins` title run last year was part of a 15-match winning streak on the tour, which propelled her back into the Top 10 rankings. Last year, she secured her first WTA 500 title here, just a week after winning her first WTA 1000 title at the Miami Open in 2024.
Collins demonstrated her determination to continue her Charleston success by dominating 20-year-old Montgomery, who is close to breaking into the Top 100. Collins controlled the match, winning 80 percent of her first-serve points and preventing World No. 105 Montgomery from earning any break points.
“I`m most pleased with my mindset and simply being relentless,” Collins stated after her win. “Attacking my shots, not being too critical of myself after errors, and allowing myself some breathing room.”
Anisimova concluded the night on Credit One Stadium with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Veronika Kudermetova, the 2021 Charleston champion. Anisimova had lost her previous two matches against Kudermetova but secured her first win against the former Top 10 player in this match.
Anisimova reached the semifinals in Charleston in 2022, which is her best performance at a WTA 500 tournament. She aims to surpass that result this week, during a period where she is arguably playing the best tennis of her career. She claimed her biggest career title at the WTA 1000 Doha in February, and recently achieved a career-high ranking of No. 16.
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Jasper Hawthorne 
Dominic Ashworth