By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Rebecca Peterson surprised Sloane Stephens, 6-2, 7-5, roaring into the Washington, D.C. second round with her first career Top 10 victory.
Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve
Sloane Stephens ballooned a floating forehand beyond the baseline concluding a deflating defeat with a final misfire.
On a day when the top-seeded American struggled to land shots between the lines, Rebecca Peterson made her mark with a career milestone.
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The 70th-ranked Peterson surprised Stephens, 6-2, 7-5, roaring into the Washington, D.C. second round with her first career Top 10 victory.
Winless in eight prior meetings with Top 20 opponents, Peterson reeled off the final three games against an increasingly-erratic Stephens.
The 2015 Washington, D.C. champion played some sloppy shots on pivotal points, committing 45 unforced errors in the first meeting between the pair.
It is Stephens' fifth opening-round exit in 13 tournaments this season.
It began with the Stephens seizing triple break point in the fifth game.
The stubborn Stockholm-born baseliner dug in and denied all three break points holding for 3-2. Playing with more energy and urgency, Peterson streaked through a love break for 4-2.
As Stephens struggled to tame her drives, Peterson ran through 10 of 11 points stretching her lead to 5-2.
The 23-year-old Swede sealed a one-set lead with her second straight break when Stephens slapped a backhand into net.
Stephens snatched the break to start the second set.
Point-to-point concentration continued to waver as the top seed fell into a triple break-point hole. Stephens slashed a 92 mph forehand dagger down the line on the second then belted a backhand down the opposite sideline to save the third. From love-40 down, Stephens squeezed out a tough hold for 2-0.
Though Stephens is one of the speediest players in the sport, Peterson was effective varying the heights of her shot sometimes using heavy, high forehands to push the American back behind the baseline.
Sailing a shot long, Stephens netted a drive on the next point gifting back the break in the eighth game.
The former US Open champion cranked her two-hander down the line for break point then broke for 5-4 when Peterson put a second serve into net.
Determined defense helped the Swede break back.
On the full-stretch, a lunging Peterson stabbed defensive backhands amid a barrage of forehands from Stephens. Peterson's stubborn stand paid off as Stephens flattened a forehand into net falling to 5-all.
Peterson breezed through her first love hold since the opening game of the match shifting the pressure squarely back on Stephens' shoulders.
On a final forehand error, Peterson closed her first Top 10 win and will face either Italian Camila Giorgi or American qualifier Sachia Vickery next.