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Peyton Stearns has reached the first WTA 500 semifinal of her career after beating fellow American Sloane Stephens 7-6(6), 6-4 at the Guadalajara Open. The result gives Stearns another significant step forward at the WTA 500 event in Mexico.
The quarterfinal was decided by small margins. Stearns took the opening set in a tight tiebreak before closing out the second set 6-4. The WTA lists the result as Stearns’ first quarterfinal and semifinal appearance at this level in Guadalajara.
The win also ended Stephens’ run at the tournament. Stephens had reached the quarterfinal after defeating Janice Tjen in straight sets in the previous round.
Stearns handles a tight opening set
The opening set provided the biggest test of the match. Neither player was able to separate herself through the regular games, sending the set to a tiebreak.
Stearns then held her nerve in the deciding points. She won the tiebreak 8-6 to move within one set of the semifinal.
The second set again remained competitive, but Stearns found enough openings to move ahead. She eventually closed out the match 6-4.
The statistics show how closely contested the match was. Stearns won 78 total points to Stephens’ 76 and converted four of 11 break-point opportunities. Stephens converted three of five. Stearns also won the only tiebreak played.
Samsonova awaits in the semifinal
Stearns will now face No. 8 seed Liudmila Samsonova for a place in the Guadalajara final. Samsonova advanced after beating Marta Kostyuk 7-5 in the third set of their quarterfinal. The tournament bracket lists the Stearns-Samsonova semifinal for Sept. 19.
The matchup gives Stearns another test against a seeded opponent. Her route to the semifinal has included wins over Emiliana Arango, Diane Parry and Stephens. The WTA record lists her tournament record at 3-1 before the semifinal.
For Stearns, the Guadalajara run has already produced a new milestone. The next match will determine whether she can turn that breakthrough into her first WTA 500 final appearance.
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