Hopes of a home player winning the Citi Open on Tuesday took a huge blow after the top two American players suffered shock losses in their opening matches.
Former US Open champion Sloane Stephens slumped to a 6-2, 7-5, loss to the Swedish world No.70 Rebecca Peterson. In total Stephens dropped her serve five times and failed to convert four out of her six break point opportunities. She has now lost her opening match in three out of the past five tournaments.
“I thought I could’ve played better,” Stephens said. “Obviously, it was hot. Tough conditions. But from here, only thing you can do is improve.”
Since winning the Citi Open back in 2015, Stephens has experienced a series of poor results at the tournament. She has now lost in the first round of Washington in three out of her past four appearances. The only exception was last year when she reached the second round. Despite those results, Stephens is keeping upbeat about her chances over the coming weeks heading into the US Open.
“I’ve tried to have a good attitude and let the chips fall where they may going forward,” the 26-year-old explained.
“We’re starting fresh. We’ve done pretty well. I need to have fun and enjoy what I’m doing.”
Peterson, who is yet to win a WTA title, has recorded her first ever win over a top 10 player on her ninth attempt. She will next play Italy’s Camila Giorgi for the chance to reach her second WTA quarter-final of the season after Rabat.
“I’m just really happy with the win and the way I just stick to every point, fought for every point that was out there,” Peterson told wtatennis.com.
“I was not thinking too far ahead or back – I was just staying in the moment and trying my best in every point.”
Another casualty on Tuesday was Madison Keys, who has now only won back-to-back matches in one out of her past five tournaments. The former grand slam finalist suffered a 7-6(4), 6-2, loss to Hailey Baptiste. A 17-year-old local wildcard who recorded her first ever main draw win on the tour. Keys called for a trainer twice during the second set due to a muscle spasm in her back.
“It felt really good,” world No.283 Baptiste said following her win. “Half of the match, I couldn’t really feel my legs. I don’t know, like, I really can’t describe what it felt like, but it was amazing. Having everybody in the crowd cheering for me, I knew every other person in the crowd, it felt really good.”
“I think my mind was really focused, and I didn’t let anything get to my head, and I just played my game and played within myself.”
Heading into the second round of the tournament there are four seeded players left in the draw this year. The highest of those being third seed Sofia Kenin, who is bidding to clench her third title of the season and first on American soil.
