Sloane Stephens ousts No. 22 seed Francesca Schiavone; Serena Williams wins
Photo credit: AP | Serena Williams returns a shot to Coco Vandeweghe during a match at the U.S. Open tennis tournament. (Aug. 28, 2012)
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American teenager Sloane Stephens fairly bubbles over when she talks about being a tennis player, being a friend of Serena Williams, being an up-and-comer.
Tuesday, she had every right to bubble after she beat Francesca Schiavone, the 22nd seed and a former French Open champion, 6-3, 6-4, in front of a bubbly American crowd at Louis Armstrong Stadium. At 19, Stephens is the youngest player in the top 50 (44th).
“If you do everything you want to do in your match, if you accomplish all your goals for today, which I did, I’m pleased, very pleased with myself,’’ Stephens said. “That’s something that gives you confidence, and that takes you far.’’
Stephens' friend did OK, too. Williams defeated fellow American Coco Vandeweghe, 6-1, 6-1.
Caroline Wozniacki, who was beaten in the Open final by Kim Clijsters in 2009, was ousted by Irina-Camelia Begu, 6-2, 6-2. Wozniacki, the No. 8 seed, withdrew from the New Haven tournament with a bad right knee last week, and was treated on court for it Tuesday night. Her boyfriend, PGA Tour star Rory McIlroy, was in the friends box. Wozniacki started the year ranked No. 1.
