Stephens impresses in going for second major title
PARIS » Sloane Stephens has dropped only six games in her first two matches at the French Open.
Those victories have impressed former U.S. Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe, who now believes the reigning U.S. Open champion can claim a second Grand Slam title at Roland Garros in Paris.
“Just FYI. Sloane Stephens is winning this tournament,” McEnroe tweeted after Stephens dispatched qualifier Magdalena Frech 6-2, 6-2 in just over an hour on Wednesday.
The 10th-seeded American player, who never got past the fourth round in her six previous appearances at the tournament, is more cautious. She missed the tournament last year and went through a stretch of
poor results after winning at Flushing Meadows. She knows getting carried away would be a big mistake.
“That’s so sweet, that was nice of him,” Stephens said about McEnroe’s tweet. “I mean, I can’t predict the future, I don’t know. I would love to. We’ll see next Saturday.”
There is a very long way to go for Stephens, who has yet to meet top contenders in Paris. She will face a more serious test in the third round against Camila Giorgi of Italy, who has lost only eight games in the first two matches.
Giorgi has beaten Stephens twice in their three meetings, including a 6-3, 6-0 rout in Sidney this year on hard court. After winning in New York, Stephens did not win a match for the rest of the season. She was beaten in the first round at the Australian Open in January and struggled with her tennis until March when she won the title in Miami. MICHAEL CHANG REDUX » A young American man trying an underhanded serve while cramping during a five-setter at the French Open. Hmmmm. Seen that before, haven’t we? Except, unlike for 1989 champion Michael Chang, the unusual strategy didn’t help result in a victory for Jared Donaldson against Grigor Dimitrov.
The fourth-seeded Dimitrov came back to beat the 21-year-old Donaldson 6-7 (2), 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 10-8 in a second-round marathon that lasted 4 hours, 19 minutes on Court 18 at Roland Garros.
Donaldson, who is ranked 57th, was actually two points from winning when he led 6-5 in the fifth and got to love-30 on Dimitrov’s serve. But Dimitrov took the next four points to hold for 6-all. Dimitrov broke to lead 8-7 and served for the victory, but Donaldson broke right back. In the next game, though, Donaldson could barely stand, let alone move well.
He double-faulted. Then he tried an underhand serve — not his first of the match, either — and lost the point. Chang famously used an underhand service motion while cramping during a fourth-round win against Ivan Lendl on the way to the French Open title 29 years ago.
WILLIAMS’ DOUBLE UP » Serena and Venus Williams won their first Grand Slam doubles match in nearly two years. The sisters moved into the second round of the French Open by coming back for a 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory over the 14th-seeded Japanese pairing of Shuko Aoyama and Miyu Kato in front of crowd that raucously supported the Americans.
AT A GLANCE
Wednesday’s highlights
Men: No. 4 Grigor Dimitrov def. Jared Donaldson 6-7 (2), 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 10-8; No. 20 Novak Djokovic def. Jaume Antoni Munar Clar.
Women: No. 10 Sloane Stephens def. Magdalena Frech 6-2, 6-2; No. 13 Madison Keys def. Caroline Dolehide 6-4, 6-1. Doubles: Venus and Serena Williams def. No. 14 Shuko Aoyama and Miyu Kato 4-6, 6-4, 6-1. Today’s key matches Men: No. 1 Rafael Nadal vs. Guido Pella
Women: Serena Williams vs. No. 17 Ashleigh Barty; No. 1 Simona Halep vs. Taylor Townsend
TV: 2 a.m, 7 a.m. 2 a.m. (Friday), TENNIS