06.01
2012

Thanks to Sloane Stephens the American Flag Will Still Fly at French Open

19 Year-Old, Sloane Stephens, Keeps the US Flag Flying at the French Open - Paris

The 19-year-old, from Coral Springs, Florida delivered her career-best slam performance Friday to guarantee that Old Glory will be overhead at Roland Garros for at least a few more days. Sloane Stephens, along with Christina McHale and Varvara Lapchenko, was one of only three Americans to reach the third round of the French Open in Paris with the notable exits of the high-profile Williams Sisters. Out of the eight teenagers in this year’s open she was the only one to reach the third round. Stephens carries American interest in the women’s draw into the fourth round after powering past her opponent, Mathilde Johansson, the hometown favorite.

Ranked 79^th in the world and making only her fourth slam appearance, Stephens, hit 26 winners in the third-round on Friday to eliminate the 27-year-old, Johansson, from France. Stephens beat Johansson in just over an hour and a half 6-3 and 6-2. The young Sloane Stephens best previous slam performance was last year’s open where she was home at the third round stage. Stephens’s next return to the court could be as the last hope for Americans in the tournament with potential defeats of McHale and Lepchenko on Saturday. To reach the 5^th round she will have to upset either the 27^th seed Nadia Pertrova from Russia or 6^th seed Sam Stosur from Australia.