WTA Rematch: Jabeur vs. Bencic for Charleston title

DANIEL ISLAND, S.C. (WCBD) – For the first time in tournament history, the Credit One Charleston Open will host a repeat final.

News 2 Sports’ Dan Fanning says cool weather hasn’t kept tennis fans from this historic rematch.

Defending champion Belinda Bencic closed out a rain-delayed semifinal on Sunday with a 7-5, 7-6 (5) victory over top-seeded Jessica Pagula.

If Bencic wins the final, she will be the first back-to-back tournament champion since Serena Williams a decade ago.

The fourth-seeded Bencic will face her championship opponent from a year ago in second-seeded Ons Jabeur, who advanced Saturday with a win over third-seeded Daria Kasatkina in a match that had a rain delay of 3 1/2 hours.

Pegula lost the first set but was up 4-2 in the second-set tiebreak when the match was halted Saturday night. The American, who is ranked third in the world, won the first point after play resumed before Bencic, who is from Switzerland, won the next five to move into the final with her 10th straight victory in Charleston.

That run of success includes a 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 victory over Jabeur, who is from Tunisia, in this event last season.

Pegula and Bencic resumed their match on a chilly day when spectators wore heavy coats and scarves instead of shorts and T-shirts.

Editor’s Note: The Associated Press contributed to this article