By Chris Oddo | Thursday June 30, 2016
Madison Keys and Sloane Stephens got the ball rolling for the American women with wins early on Day 4.
Photo Source: Julian Finney/Getty
There is an American holding a Top 10 seed at Wimbledon and her last name is not Williams. Huh?
Grass Clippings: Ode to Wimbledon's Centre Court
No. 9 seed Madison Keys flew past a tricky opponent on Court 7 early on Thursday, taking down 2013 semifinalist Kirsten Flipkens, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 to set up a third-round encounter with either Sara Errani or Alizé Cornet.
Keys, a quarterfinalist last year here at Wimbledon, was aggressive from the start, once early and once in the tenth game to take the opener, 6-4. Most of Keys’ first serves were coming back unreturned at that point, but momentum shifted as Flipkens broke on her third break point of the seventh game of set two with a backhand winner and served it out from there.
Keys answered with power and precision in set three, winning her first eight points against the Flipkens serve to roll out to a 5-3 lead. Flipkens snagged three games on the trot and forced Keys to serve it out a second time, which she did to improve to 7-0 on grass this season.
18th-seeded Sloane Stephens had to wait three days to get a match in here in soggy London, but the American was in good form despite the lag time. She didn’t face a break point in taking down China’s Peng Shuai, 7-6(5), 6-2 to set up a second-round encounter with Mandy Minella of Luxembourg.
Stephens had not played a match on grass all season until today.
The American converted on two of eight break points (2 of 6 in set two), to claim the victory in one hour and 29 minutes.