Stephens ousted
US Open champ loses
NEW YORK – Sloane Stephens will not be defending her lone Grand Slam tournament title at the US Open.
Stephens, the No. 3 seed, surrendered that possibility when she was upset by 19th-seeded Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia 6-2, 6-3 on Tuesday.
“I thought she played solid today,” Stephens said. “Obviously the better player won.
“Obviously she plays a little bit different than most girls,” she added. “She hits a lot of drop shots, she slices, she changes it up a little bit.”
Stephens, who will likely drop to No. 8 in the WTA Tour rankings, never appeared able to deal with the intense heat, humidity and sunshine. The thermometer readings at Flushing Meadows were in the low 90s, but it clearly felt much hotter running around on the court.
“Mentally, physically, I just wasn’t connecting,” admitted Stephens, who downplayed a sinus infection having any role in her defeat. “It just was a really tough day. The heat doesn’t make it any more fun.
“Nothing was wrong with me before the match,” Stephens added. “I was excited to play, happy to get out there and compete.”
During the match, the tournament suspended all the juniors matches because of the conditions. Nevertheless, the main-draw matches in singles and doubles continued.
“It was just really hot,” Stephens said. “You can’t control the weather, can’t control what the tournament is going to do. You just have to go with it.”
The 18th-ranked Sevastova suggested her ability to conceal how she was feeling worked in her favor.
“I saw that she was struggling,” Sevastova said.
“I was struggling also a little bit, but I didn’t show it that much.”
This marks Sevastova’s first journey to a Grand Slam semifinal. This was her third Grand Slam quarterfinals.
“It was very physical today,” Sevastova told the crowd. “It was tough to play. It was so hot. It was very important to win the first set.”
Sevastova, 28, retired from the sports in May 2013 after attempting to deal with multiple injuries and illness but came back in January 2015.
“You have to appreciate it more, I think,” Sevastova said of her return to tennis. “You have to see that what you’re doing, it’s like a privilege (to be) here.”
The loss ends any chance for the highly anticipated potential semifinal between Stephens and Serena Williams.
If Williams, seeking her 24th Grand Slam title, defeats Karolina Pliskova on Tuesday night she will face Sevastova for a second consecutive Grand Slam final berth. Williams fell to Angelique Kerber in the Wimbledon final two months ago.
This was the second consecutive year that Stephens, 25, played Sevastova in the US Open quarterfinals. Last year Stephens trailed 3-1 in the third set but rebounded and won the match in a tiebreaker.
Stephens had multiple chances to harness the first set in her favor Tuesday but watched as all the opportunities passed her by. Sevastova broke her serve in the fourth and eighth games to take a one-set lead. In the 18-point third game of the first set, Stephens held four break points before Sevastova saved her serve on a third game point. In the fifth game, Stephens had three break points without any positive results.
“When you don’t play big points well, the match can get away from you,” Stephens said. “I think that’s what happened today. I didn’t convert. You don’t win matches when you don’t take your opportunities.”
Twice in the second set Stephens recouped service breaks, but that wasn’t enough to advance her to the semifinals. Trailing by 3-1 in the second set, Stephens started cursing at herself and ended the admonishment by slapping her right thigh.
Stephens dropped her serve for the final time in the eighth game to put Sevastova in position to serve out the match at 5-3. The Latvian took the challenge, winning the match on a third match point in the ninth game.