Eighth-seeded Liudmila Samsonova reached her first semi-final of the year by upsetting top seed Marta Kostyuk 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 at the Guadalajara Open in Mexico on Thursday.
The 27-year-old Russian, who had reached the quarter-finals at three other tournaments this season, secured her first semi-final berth since Berlin in June 2025.
Kostyuk, the 24-year-old Ukrainian, was playing her first match of the week after receiving a first-round bye and advancing through the second round via a walkover. Her scheduled opponent, Taylor Townsend, withdrew because of a medical situation that required emergency surgery.
Samsonova will face American Peyton Stearns in the semi-finals after Stearns defeated compatriot Sloane Stephens 7-6(6), 6-4. Stephens missed three match points in the first-set tiebreak.
Defending champion and second seed Iva Jovic will meet Spain’s sixth-seeded Cristina Bucsa in the other semi-final. Jovic beat seventh seed Magdalena Frech of Poland 6-2, 6-1, while Bucsa defeated third seed Sara Bejlek of the Czech Republic 6-0, 6-4.
SP Open
Mary Stoiana reached her first WTA Tour quarter-final after beating Czech Republic’s Dominika Salkova 7-6(5), 6-1 in the second round in Sao Paulo.
The 23-year-old American, who helped Texas A&M win the 2024 NCAA team championship, is ranked 116th in the world.
Stoiana will next face second seed Paula Badosa, who recovered to beat Argentina’s Jazmin Ortenzi 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.
Fourth seed Anna Blinkova of Russia, seventh seed Kaitlin Quevedo of Spain and eighth seed Alina Charaeva of Armenia also advanced in straight sets.
Dutchwoman Suzan Lamens defeated third seed Solana Sierra of Argentina 6-3, 6-2, while Argentina’s Nadia Podoroska beat Germany’s Eva Lys 7-5, 6-2.
