“I definitely felt I was ready for this. I knew what I could do. I knew if I stayed positive and focused, I would be able to come out with some good stuff in the end, which I did, so I was proud of that,” Stephens said in her post-match interview.
Just like her American compatriots, she came out in the first set calm, cool, and collected and marched to an easy 6–1 victory. The set took only 25 minutes with Sloan barely breaking a sweat.
The second set was a battle for both players, as they traded points over long volleys. Stephens fought back from two games back, and brought the set to a tie breaker, winning 7–4.
Her grandmother stood up and cheered, beaming with pride: “We are just so proud of her.”
Sloane had the opportunity to play on Ashe, but turned it down. “I didn't want Ashe. I haven't played on Grandstand. I haven't played on Armstrong. Why would I get Ashe?” She can now check off a win on Grandstand.
Sloane is among the growing number of young American talent that are making their marks at this year’s US Open. Her “homies,” as she called them, Christina McHale and Irina Falconi, took care of business on Wednesday. The three of them will take on the world at the Pan Am games next month.
When asked if she is intimidated by all the new-found attention for her and the other young Americans she replied, “No. This is life. If you want to get anywhere, you better be ready for everything.”
Sloane will face former French Open champion Ana Ivanovic for her round three match.
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