Zhang Shuai upsets Sloane Stephens in first round at Australian Open
MELBOURNE — Sloane Stephens has now lost all eight matches she’s played since winning her first Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open last year.
The 13th-seeded Stephens seemed on her way to finally posting a victory when she served for the match up 5-4 in the second set of her Australian Open first-round match on Monday, but was eventually sent packing by Zhang Shuai of China 2-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2.
Stephens looked forlorn when she left the court, but she did manage to share an enthusiastic hug with the 34th-ranked Zhang at the net and offer a wave to the crowd.
Stephens, who was sidelined by a foot injury that required surgery from the 2016 Olympics to Wimbledon last year, has been bothered off-and-on by a knee injury since winning the U.S. Open. At one point in the summer ahead of her grand showing at the in New York, Stephens was ranked No. 957 in the world.
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She followed her surprise U.S. Open victory with first-round losses at Wuhan and Beijing, China; was defeated in two round-robin matches at the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai, China event; and then failed to win either of the two matches she played for the U.S. during the Fed Cup final against Belarus.
This year, she fell to Camila Gorgi of Italy at last week’s Sydney event.
The 24-year-old Stephens made her first mark in the women’s game when she journeyed to the 2013 Australian Open semifinals, defeating Serena Williams in a three-set quarterfinal match along the way.
Follow Sandra Harwitt on Twitter @TennisGrapevine.