Monday’s Summary
MEN’S AND WOMEN’S FIRST-ROUND QUALIFYING MATCHES
HIGHLIGHT OPENING DAY OF 2026 BETTER BUZZ COFFEE SAN DIEGO OPEN
Tuesday’s Order of Play to Begin at 10 a.m. (PST) at Barnes Tennis Center
SAN DIEGO – (January 26, 2026) – First-round men’s and women’s qualifying matches took center stage on Opening Day of the 2026 Better Buzz Coffee San Diego Open on a bright sunny day at Barnes Tennis Center.
Fifteen-year-old Kristina Liutova used her steady baseline game to dismiss Jordyn Mcbride, a former University of San Diego collegiate player, 6-1, 6-2 in 83 minutes to advance to the second-round of women’s qualifying.
In 2023, Liutova captured the USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ 16s National Championship at Barnes Tennis Center at age 13. Following the match, King presented Liutova with her USTA gold ball for winning the national title. “That was a great opportunity. I knew she (King) was watching that match. Winning that junior title was one of my favorite memories,” Liutova said.
Liutova, who is ranked No. 718 in the WTA singles rankings, is happy to be back in San Diego this week as she attempts to qualify for the main draw of the $100,000 International Tennis Federation Women’s World Tennis Tour event.
“It’s really exciting to be here. This tournament means a lot to me because it’s my first W100 level event. I love this place. It’s a really nice atmosphere. It’s beautiful and the weather is always nice. Everything here is done very professionally,” Liutova said. “I’m trying not to focus on my ranking and points. I just want to improve my game and keep going forward.”
In other first-round women’s qualifying matches, American Salma Ewing eliminated Mexico’s Midori Castillo Meza 7-6 (6), 6-0 and Dalayna Hewitt defeated fellow American Tori Kinard, 6-3, 7-6 (5).
The men’s ATP Challenger featured a full schedule of men’s qualifying matches on Monday. In first-round action, Ryan Seggerman of Coronado, Calif., got past fellow American Matt Kuhar 7-6 (3), 6-3 and Evan Zhu of the United States dispatched Paul Inchauspe of France, 7-6 (0), 4-6, 6-3.
Tuesday’s Order of Play will feature men’s and women’s qualifying and main draw matches. Six singles qualifiers will advance to the men’s draw and eight singles qualifiers will move into the women’s draw.
Matches will begin at 10 a.m., through Friday, January 30, and at noon on Saturday, January 31 and Sunday, February 1. Gates at Barnes Tennis Center will open one hour before the first match each day.
Tickets are now on sale at: https://barnessdopen.com/tickets. Ticket prices range from $25 for General Admission to early-round matches to $45 for Reserved Seating on the final weekend.
All Youth 17 & under will receive free General Admission Grounds Access from Tuesday, January 27 through Saturday, January 31 with a ticketed adult.
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/.
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