Guadalajara, Sep 19 — Guadalajara is set for an all-American showdown for the WTA 500 title after Iva Jovic and Peyton Stearns powered through their respective semifinal clashes in straight sets.
Second seed Jovic, the defending champion, stayed in control throughout her 6-4, 6-1 victory over sixth seed Cristina Bucsa, while unseeded Stearns recovered from a difficult start to overcome eighth seed Liudmila Samsonova 7-6(7), 6-2.
The final will mark the first meeting between Jovic and Stearns, with both arriving at the title clash having dropped no sets in Guadalajara. It also guarantees an American champion at the tournament for a second successive year.
Jovic produced one of her most assured performances of the week, particularly when under pressure on serve. The 16-year-old saved 11 of the 12 break points she faced, including all six in the second set, to close out the contest in one hour and 33 minutes.
Jovic, who is ranked No. 16 in the world, had to negotiate several difficult service games early on before finding her rhythm. She recovered immediately after Bucsa broke her serve when she was serving for the opening set at 5-3, then took command in the second.
“There were so many ups and downs, but I was able to just hold firm on my serve and get through in straights,” Jovic said.
The teenager is now through to her second final of the season and will attempt to successfully defend the title that made her the youngest American to win a tour-level trophy since Coco Gauff in 2021.
Stearns, meanwhile, had to overturn an early deficit against Samsonova after the Russian raced into leads of 3-0 and 4-2. The American eventually found her composure and forced the opening set into a tiebreak, where she converted her sixth set point.
“I think I started a little tense on my heels and she came out swinging – she did a great job with that,” Stearns said. “Once I kind of settled and relaxed a little bit, I … felt like I did a better job.”
Stearns carried that momentum into the second set, repeatedly making Samsonova work in extended games before completing the victory.
The result takes Stearns into the biggest final of her career. She is seeking her second title of 2026 after winning the ATX Open in February and now has a 4-1 record in tour-level semifinals.
With neither finalist having surrendered a set all week, their first career meeting promises a fresh chapter in Guadalajara on Saturday.