The biggest surprise of the quarterfinals was delivered by the eighth seed Liudmila Samsonova, who defeated the top seed Marta Kostyuk 4:6, 6:2, 7:5 after a fierce battle and an impressive comeback. Kostyuk won the first set by breaking serve in the tenth game at 5:4. In the second set, Samsonova dominated, quickly taking two of her opponent’s serves to lead 3:0, and calmly closed the set at 6:2.
A real drama unfolded in the third, deciding set. Kostyuk was the first to gain an advantage, leading 4:2 with a break, but the Russian immediately responded in the next game, reducing the deficit to 4:3. The key moment occurred at 5:5 when Samsonova broke serve without dropping a single point (0:40), and then confidently served out the match, also at love. Samsonova won a total of 109 points in the match, compared to the Ukrainian’s 99 points.
Stearns Survives a Thriller Against Stephens
In the all-American clash, Peyton Stearns showed incredible mental resilience to defeat Sloane Stephens in straight sets, 7:6(8), 6:4. Stephens was the first to break in both sets but failed to hold onto the lead. In a dramatic first-set tiebreak, Stephens had a commanding 6:3 lead and three set points, but Stearns managed to erase all of them and eventually steal the set. In the second set, Stephens again broke first, but a persistent Stearns responded with two consecutive breaks to secure the victory and a spot in the semifinals.
Bucsa and Jovic Safely Through to the Semifinals
Spain’s Cristina Bucsa justified her role as the sixth seed against the young Czech Sara Bejlek, winning comfortably 6:0, 6:4. Bucsa wrapped up the first set in express fashion without dropping a single game. In the second set, Bejlek put up stronger resistance, taking the first break, and it seemed she might complicate the match. However, Bucsa quickly consolidated, broke back, and secured the win with another break at the end of the match.
In the remaining quarterfinal duel, second seed Iva Jovic convincingly outclassed Magdalena Frech with a 6:2, 6:1 victory.
Semifinal Schedule
The singles semifinal matches will be played on the center court (Estadio Skarch). According to the schedule, the matches will take place at the following times:
- Not before 01:00: C. Bucsa (6) vs I. Jovic (2)
- Followed by: L. Samsonova (8) vs P. Stearns
For the complete bracket, live score updates, and a detailed daily overview of the competition, be sure to visit our central WTA 500 Guadalajara Open 2026 Guide.
