2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens showed tremendous vigor to come back from a set down and defeat Polish youngster Magdalena Frech 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the first round of the Parma Ladies Open on Monday.
The experienced campaigner from the USA – Sloane Stephens came into the tournament with just 3 wins in her last nine matches. She didn’t get off to a good start as Frech was all over her in the first set. It seemed that the American tennis pro was rattled by Frech’s superior display. However, the 29-year-old used all her experience to come back with a vengeance and eventually sealed her spot in the round of 16.
The 24-year-old Frech played really well in patches but the points at crucial junctures went in favor of Stephens. She lost 5 of her last 6 main-draw matches against American opponents before starting this match. Frech hit a couple of aces and one double fault while Stephens failed to hit a single ace and committed three double faults. There’s nothing to choose from between the win percentages in the first serves between both players. Frech won 44 receiving points while Stephens won just 37. In spite of these numbers going in favor of Frech, it was Stephens who came out on top.
This solid start will certainly give Stephens a lot of confidence as she aims to win her second title this year.
Twitter reactions
The tennis world on Twitter has been buzzing since Stephens’ solid come-from-behind victory. Let’s take a look at some of the best reactions.
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