Top-seeded Jessica Pegula continues to live dangerously in her title defense on the clay courts at the Charleston Open.

One day after prevailing in a three-set marathon over Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva, Pegula was again pushed to the limit on Thursday, but outlasted Italian 14th seed Elisabetta Cocciaretto 1-6, 6-1, 7-6 (1). The match lasted just over two hours, more than one hour less than Wednesday’s encounter.

Cocciaretto sprinted out to a 4-1 lead in the deciding set, but the resilient Pegula held serve twice, and broke the Italian in between to square the set. She held at love to force the tiebreaker and coasted home. Pegula converted only 3 of 14 break point chances, but came up with the big break in the final set.

She will take on seventh-seeded Russian Diana Shnaider, who routed No. 9 Canadian Leylah Fernandez 6-3, 6-0. Third-seeded Belinda Bencic outlasted Czechia’s Sara Bejlek 7-6 (4), 6-2, and fifth-seeded Madison Keys got past Hungary’s Anna Bondar 6-2, 7-5.

Thursday also featured a pair of All-American matches. McCartney Kessler edged No. 7 seed Peyton Stearns 6-0, 3-6, 6-4, while 18-year-old fourth seed Iva Jovic took out No. 16 Sofia Kenin 7-5, 7-5. Ukraine’s Yuliia Starodubtseva routed Mexico’s Renata Zarazua 6-1, 6-0, and will take on Kessler in Friday’s quarterfinals, while Jovic will face eighth-seeded Anna Kalinskaya of Russia, who knocked off Spain’s Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-2.

Copa Colsanitas Colsubsidio

The second- and third-seeded players were upset in second-round play in Bogota, Colombia.

Vavara Lapchenko prevailed over second-seeded Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain 6-0, 2-6, 7-5, and Argentine Jazmin Ortenzi, ranked No. 206 in the world, stunned third-seeded Colombian Camila Osorio 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5). Osorio’s countrywoman Emiliana Arango knocked off Spain’s Guiomar Maristany Zuleta De Reales 7-5, 6-2.

The top seed, Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic, enjoyed a quick day. She won the first set 6-4 before her Belgian opponent Hanne Vandewinkel retired.

–Field Level Media