Saturday’s Summary
ALL-AMERICAN MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SINGLES FINALS SET
FOR SUNDAY AT 2026 BETTER BUZZ COFFEE SAN DIEGO OPEN
Sunday’s Order of Play to Begin at Noon (PST) at Barnes Tennis Center
SAN DIEGO – (January 31, 2026) – A spectacular Sunday of professional tennis, featuring four American players, will conclude the 2026 Better Buzz Coffee San Diego Open at Barnes Tennis Center with the women’s singles final scheduled to begin at noon, followed by the men’s singles final (not before 1:30 p.m.).
In men’s singles semifinal action, top-seeded Sebastian Korda overcame a challenging first set, but finished strong in a 7-6 (4), 6-2 victory over third-seeded American Patrick Kypson before a capacity crowd of over 700 on Stadium Court.
The first set had four straight service breaks but at 4-4, Korda and Kypson held serve over the last four games to send the set to a tiebreak. Kypson took early control in the tiebreak, taking a 3-0 lead. Korda then showed why he was once ranked 15th in the world as he won seven of the next eight points to close out the first set.
In the second set, Korda used service breaks in the third and seventh games to take command of the set and went on to serve out the match which took one-hour and 29 minutes.
“I’ve been serving pretty well, especially the last two matches. I’ve raised the level of my serve and have been hitting my spots, not going for too much power,” Korda said after his straight-set semifinal victory.
“It feels great to be in the final. That was my goal coming into this week. The key is my serve,” Korda added. “If I’m serving well and moving well, I can play some good attacking tennis. I have to do those things well.”
Korda will meet San Diego’s Zachary Svajda in the men’s singles championship. The fourth-seeded Svajda dismissed fifth-seeded Sho Shimabukuro of Japan 6-4, 6-1 in 67 minutes in the last match of the day.
An All-American match-up highlighted the men's doubles final as third-seeded Trey Hilderbrand and Mac Kiger combined for a 6-3, 6-4 win in 67 minutes over unseeded Garrett Johns and Karl Poling on Stadium Court.
A day after eliminating top-seeded Louisa Chirico in straight sets in the quarterfinals, fifth-seeded Elvina Kalieva put together another strong performance in the first women's singles semifinal as she halted Jennifer Brady's tournament run with a thrilling 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-2 comeback victory in two-hours and 46 minutes on Court 1.
The 22-year-old Kalieva will meet second-seeded Elizabeth Mandlik in an All-American women’s singles final on Sunday. Mandlik, the daughter of Tennis Hall of Famer Hana Mandlikova, defeated fellow American and sixth-seed Mary Stoiana 6-4, 6-3 in the second women’s semifinal.
The opening match of the day on Stadium Court featured the women’s doubles final. The second-seeded team of Kayla Cross of Canada and American Alana Smith captured the championship with a 6-2, 6-3 victory in 65 minutes over unseeded Americans Catherine Harrison and Dalayna Hewitt.
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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MEDIA CONTACT — J. Fred Sidhu — 619.507.6943 (m) — jfscommunications@gmail.com
