By Tennis Now | Saturday, April 20, 2019

 

Sloane Stephens swept Timea Bacsinszky, 6-4, 6-3, drawing the United States even with visiting Switzerland in the Fed Cup World Group playoffs in San Antonio.

Photo credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

It's been a season of struggle for Sloane Stephens.

Today, the former US Open champion answered deficit with determination sweeping Timea Bacsinszky, 6-4, 6-3, drawing the United States even with visiting Switzerland in the Fed Cup World Group playoffs in San Antonio.

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Stephens stormed back from a break down in both deficits to post her third straight Fed Cup victory.

It was a critical win for the Americans after Swiss Viktorija Golubic picked apart an erratic Madison Keys, 6-2, 6-3, to stake Switzerland to a 1-0 lead.

Charleston champion Keys was spraying her groundstrokes and never really found her her range committing 47 unforced errors, including 24 errors in the second set.

In contrast, Golubic made just 27 errors and fought off all four break points she faced in a one hour, 21 minute victory.

Knowing her nation desperately needed a win, Stephens was down 1-3 in the opener when she began targeting Bacsinszky's weaker forehand wing.

The American reeled off four consecutive games to go up 5-3.

Two games later, Stephens drilled a diagonal forehand for double-set point and finished with a backhand cross court.

Former world No. 9 Bacsinszky scored the first break of the second set for a 2-0 lead. Stephens responded again with a three-game run.

The pair exchanged breaks in the sixth and seventh games before Stephens slid a forehand down the line stretching her lead to 5-3.

Serving to extend the match, Bacsinszky saved two match points but scattered a backhand on the third match point.

The  26-year-old Stephens converted seven of 16 break-point chances.

In tomorrow's reverse singles, Stephens is scheduled to face Golubic with Keys slated to play Bacsinszky in the final reverse singles match.