Guadalajara Semis: Jovic, Samsonova, Stearns, Bucsa in Last Four

The 2026 Guadalajara Open has its four semi-finalists after Thursday's complete quarter-final sweep at the Panamerican Tennis Center in Zapopan. Iva Jovic, Liudmila Samsonova, Peyton Stearns and Cristina Bucsa will contest the two semi-finals on Friday, with the winner of each match advancing to Saturday's final at the WTA 500 event.

Jovic Dispatches Fellow Former Champion Frech

Second seed Iva Jovic, the defending Guadalajara champion, was at her clinical best in dismissing seventh seed Magdalena Frech 6-2, 6-1. The quarter-final carried rare context: Frech won the Guadalajara title in 2024, Jovic claimed it twelve months later, making this a meeting of the tournament's two most recent singles winners. Any sense of drama was short-lived. Jovic broke serve repeatedly, conceded only three games across both sets, and wrapped up the match in just over an hour. For Frech, who had won her first two matches without dropping a set, it was a blunt reminder of the quality gap to the top seeds.

Samsonova Comes Back to Remove Top Seed Kostyuk

The headline result of the day came from the other quarter of the draw, where eighth seed Liudmila Samsonova came from a set down to eliminate top seed Marta Kostyuk 4-6, 6-2, 7-5. Kostyuk had reached the quarter-finals after Taylor Townsend was forced to withdraw for emergency surgery, and she started the match sharply, controlling the first set. Samsonova found her range in the second and dismantled Kostyuk at 6-2, then held her nerve across a tense decider that went deep into the third set before she edged through at 7-5. The win extends Samsonova's unbeaten head-to-head record against Kostyuk and sends her into a Friday semi-final against Peyton Stearns.

Peyton Stearns reached the biggest stage of her career with a 7-6(6), 6-4 victory over fellow American Sloane Stephens. Stearns saved a set point in the opening tiebreak before converting her own chance, then broke early in the second set to close out the match. It is the first time the American has reached the semi-finals of a WTA 500 event, and she will carry momentum from the Stephens win into her clash with Samsonova.

Bucsa Crushes Bejlek to Set Up Jovic Showdown

Sixth seed Cristina Bucsa delivered the most one-sided performance of the day, routing third seed Sara Bejlek 6-0, 6-4. Bucsa did not concede a single game in the first set, kept the level high in the second, and wrapped up the win with a minimum of fuss. Bejlek had been one of the form players in the bottom half of the draw but had no answer for Bucsa's precise, aggressive baseline work. The Spaniard will face defending champion Jovic in Friday's second semi-final — a match-up that pits the tournament's strongest on-paper form against its proven champion.

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What Is at Stake in the Semis

Friday's programme at the Guadalajara Open will open with Samsonova versus Stearns, followed by Jovic against Bucsa. The champion on Saturday collects 280 WTA ranking points from this WTA 500 event and a top-tier share of the $808,000 prize fund. For Jovic, victory would mean successfully defending a WTA 500 title — a benchmark of sustained excellence at this level. For Stearns and Bucsa, Saturday's final is the biggest opportunity of their 2026 seasons so far.