Survival Skills: Stearns Scraps Into Austin SF

By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, February 27, 2026
Photo credit: Jon Buckle/ROLEX

Peyton Stearns showed she’s Texas tough fighting into her fourth career semifinal in Austin.

Stearns converted her fourth match point subduing Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-1, 5-7, 7-5 thrilling fans in her adopted home of Austin to reach her first Tour-level semifinal since Rome last May.

It wasn’t easy and it wasn’t pretty at times, but the 2022 NCAA champion for Texas flashed the Longhorns sign to supportive fans, including Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey, after a hard-fought two hour, 31-minute triumph.

The fourth-seeded Stearns squandered a 4-3 second-set lead then went up 3-0 in the third set only to see the 76th-ranked Selekhmeteva surge through four consecutive games to edge ahead 4-3.

Stearns broke at love and served for the semifinal at 5-4. On her first match point, Stearns netted a forehand. Then Selekhmeteva showed guts carving a bold drop shot that helped her break back for 5-all.

Going right back to work, Stearns drained three errors breaking again for 6-5.

On her second match point, Stearns steered a backhand drop shot wide then netted a slice forehand on her third match point.

Setting up for her favored forehand, Stearns lashed forehands down opposite sidelines setting up a smash for a fourth match point. When Selekhmeteva missed a return wide, Stearns was through to her fourth Tour-level semifinal.

The 62nd-ranked Stearns will play Kimberly Birrell for a spot in Sunday’s final.

In an all-Aussie quarterfinal, Birrell beat good buddy Ajla Tomljanovic 6-3, 6-3 converting five of 11 break points.

“I respect Ajla so much on and off the court,” Birrell said. “She’s such a great player so I knew I was gonna have to put my best foot forward. I think it was important to back myself on the big points today and I think I did.

“It’s always tough to play against a friend. I had the same situation yesterday when I played Caroline Dolehide. It’s obviously tough, but keep concentrated, play one point at a time and of course we’re friends as soon as the match is finished.”

Earlier, Taylor Townsend rallied past Rebeka Masarova 5-7, 6-2, 6-2. 

The left-handed Townsend saved 11 of 14 break points in a two hour, 20-minute victory that vaults her into her first Tour-level singles semifinal.

Former junior world No. 1 Townsend will play either compatriot Ashlyn Krueger or lucky loser Yue Yuan for a spot in the final.