As temperatures began to heat up at the Credit One Charleston Open on Daniel Island, round of 16 action started the day yesterday with No. 6 seed Victoria Azarenka facing Anna Kalinskaya on Althea Gibson Club Court. Kalinskaya walked away with a two-set victory 6-4, 7-6(5), placing her in the quarterfinals. She will face the No. 2 seed, Ons Jabeur.

Kalinskaya, 11-years Azarenka’s junior, met for the first time in their careers. The youngster was able to best Azarenka in a two-hour tight match.

No. 12 seed Paula Badosa continued her winning ways as she rolled over Diana Shnaider, 6-1, 6-3, in an 82-minute match on Credit One Stadium court to open up Thursday’s round of 16 play at the Credit One Charleston Open.

Badosa had 5 aces on the day winning 83% of her first serve points breaking Shnaider four-times during the match.

Badosa will face No. 1 seed American Jessica Pegula.

No. 2 seed Ons Jabeur bested American Caroline Dolehide 6-3, 7-5 in their first-ever meeting on Thursday afternoon. 

In the first set, Jabeur broke out to a 4-1 lead before closing out the first set 6-3. The second set was level until the 11-game before Jabeur broke Dolehide to go up 6-5. She closed out the second set and match holding serve at 7-5.

Jabeur will now face Anna Kalinskaya the quarter final. 

After taking the first set 7-5 against Irina Begu, it looked like No. 1 seed Jessica Pegula was lining herself up for a straight set win before the wheels came off after being up 4-0 in the second set.

Begu began to charge back while Pegula’s game went away losing 10-game in a row and the second set 6-4.

Credit One Stadium was watching an upset in the making when Pegula dug in after being down 0-4 in the third set to the 15th seed.

Pegula tied up the match at 4-4, then broke Begu at love before serving out the match 6-4 taking the last eight games in the final set.

Pegula will face No. 12 seed Paula Badosa in a quarterfinal match.

There was no joy in Shelbyville last night as 4 seed Belinda Bencic ended the run of hometown prodigy Shelby Rogers, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.

That’s right, all four seeds made the quarterfinals. What kind of WTA alternate reality are we living in here? That’s the first time that’s happened in Charleston in seventeen years. Seven of the remaining players in the quarters are seeded.

Also of note is that three players in the elite eight fly under the blank white flag of nowhere in particular. And despite all of the talk about Pegula and Jabeur, it seems that the likes of Kalinskaya, Alexandrova and Kasatkina are the lurkers and each of them could win the title here.

—T. Callaio and S. Fogleman