Iva Jovic is still learning her way around clay, but the early returns continue to look promising, as the 18-year-old American advanced to the Charleston semifinals on Friday with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Anna Kalinskaya in 1 hour and 21 minutes.

Charleston: Scores | Draws | Order of play

“I’m loving the clay,” Jovic said in her on-court interview. “I’ve put in a lot of work to get more comfortable on this surface and it’s been paying off, so I’m excited to keep the fun going. This is only the first event on clay, so much more to come.”

She believes the surface suits her game.

“I think it slows down the tennis a little bit,” Jovic said. “It makes it a bit more tactical, so power and strength are neutralized a little bit. (A lot of) longer rallies, which usually favors me, so that’s been good.”

Jovic is the third American into the Charleston semifinals, joining Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys, who both won earlier Friday. It’s her third WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz semifinal of the season and her first since January, when she reached the Hobart final before falling to Elisabetta Cocciaretto.

To get here, she had to navigate a dangerous opponent in Kalinskaya, and she did it with a blistering start.

Jovic’s backhand was humming early. She fired one down the line to set up her first break point of the match, then struck another winner off that wing to break at her first opportunity and take a 2-0 lead.

Kalinskaya broke back for 4-3, but Jovic immediately responded with another break to earn a chance to serve out the set. Kalinskaya saved two set points, but Jovic converted the third to take the opener in 40 minutes.

Jovic broke to open the second set, but Kalinskaya answered for 1-1 and later broke again with a perfectly measured lob for 4-2. As in the first set, Jovic broke right back — this time with sharp defense at the net — and never looked back.

It sparked a run of four straight games for Jovic, who broke again for 5-4 and served out the match to advance. Next up is Pegula in what will be just their second meeting. Pegula won the first in straight sets earlier this year in Dubai. 

Pegula has come from a set down in three straight matches to reach the semifinals, and Jovic thinks another grind might be in the cards.

“Jess is as good as it gets,” Jovic said. “The consistency she’s been able to show throughout her career is incredible. We play kind of similar. I think it’s going to be about who executes better, and it’s definitely going to be a battle. I’m looking forward to it.”