Friday’s Summary
SEBASTIAN KORDA AND JENNIFER BRADY ADVANCE TO SINGLES
SEMIFINALS AT 2026 BETTER BUZZ COFFEE SAN DIEGO OPEN
Saturday’s Order of Play to Begin at 11 a.m. (PST) at Barnes Tennis Center
SAN DIEGO – (January 30, 2026) – After a thrilling day of quarterfinal action, Saturday’s semifinals are set for the 2026 Better Buzz Coffee San Diego Open at Barnes Tennis Center.
American wild card entrant Jennifer Brady continued her impressive comeback as the 2021 Australian Open singles finalist dispatched third-seeded Cadence Brace of Canada 7-5, 6-4 in two-hours and six minutes before a large crowd on Stadium Court.
Brady is coming back from right knee surgery in February 2024 and is competing in her first pro event since she played in China in October 2023.
“Obviously after not playing for over two years it’s been challenging to work myself into a match. I’m getting confidence again in my game. I played a good match yesterday. Today I played a little up and down but I played the big points well and it helped me in the end,” Brady said after her quarterfinal victory.
“I’m actually feeling a little bit better than I was expecting. Physically I feel good. Coming into the tournament, my expectations were pretty low considering I haven’t played in over two years. I’m pretty pleased with how I’ve done so far,” she added.
Brady will meet fellow American Elvina Kalieva in the semifinals. The fifth-seeded Kalieva ousted top-seeded Louisa Chirico 7-6 (7), 6-3 in two-hours and one-minutes in her quarterfinal match. The other women’s semifinal will feature an All-American match between second-seeded Elizabeth Mandlik and sixth-seeded Mary Stoiana.
In the men’s singles draw, top-seeded Sebastian Korda continued his march to the final as he held off sixth-seeded Liam Draxl of Canada 7-6 (4), 6-4 in one-hour and 35 minutes on Stadium Court. Korda, who has been ranked as high as No. 15 in the ATP singles rankings, will take on fellow American Patrick Kypson, the No. 3 seed, in Saturday's semifinals.
Fifth-seeded Sho Shimabukuro of Japan also moved into the men’s semifinals after eliminating second-seeded Rinky Hijikata of Australia 6-4, 6-4 in one-hour and 32 minutes.
Saturday's Order of Play will kick-off on Stadium Court with the women's doubles final at 11 a.m. The unseeded American team of Catherine Harrison and Dalayna Hewitt will face second-seeded Kayla Cross of Canada and American Alana Smith for the championship.
About Barnes Tennis Center – Barnes Tennis Center is a three-time award-winning multi-racquet sports facility in San Diego. It was constructed between 1995 and 1997 and named after its lead donor family, the "George E. Barnes Family Junior Tennis Center." The capital campaign was led by Dr. Homer Peabody Jr., who spearheaded the project and is greatly appreciated by Youth Tennis San Diego. The Center is dedicated to serving the youth of San Diego, and children aged 18 and under have court priority and play for free. The facility offers 7 Padel courts and 19 Pickleball courts. Barnes Tennis Center is a premier racquet facility dedicated to growing the game through professional events, youth development, and community engagement. For additional information, go to: https://www.barnestenniscenter.com/.
About Youth Tennis San Diego – Youth Tennis San Diego, owner and operator of Barnes Tennis Center, has brought the game of tennis right to the backyards of thousands of children and adults across San Diego County–eliminating long-standing financial barriers and dramatically increasing the accessibility of the sport. At the head of tennis organizations, YTSD has developed outreach programs, with its signature Kathy Chabot Willette After School Tennis at the forefront, in a central location at Barnes Tennis Center in the heart of San Diego. For additional information, go to: https://www.ytsd.org/.
###
MEDIA CONTACT — J. Fred Sidhu — 619.507.6943 (m) — jfscommunications@gmail.com
