Defending U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens was shunted out in the quarter-finals after losing 6-2 6-3 to Latvian 19th seed Anastasija Sevastova in sweltering conditions on Tuesday.
The third-seeded American lacked the swagger she showed through the opening four rounds and wilted on the sun-baked Arthur Ashe Stadium court against Sevastova, who became the first Latvian woman to reach the semi-finals of the U.S. Open.
The 28-year-old Sevastova, who avenged last year’s quarter-final loss to Stephens in New York to reach her first Grand Slam semi, converted five of her eight break points and saved seven of the nine against her.
Early in her career, Sevastova retired from tennis due to injuries and disillusionment from the sport.
She now finds herself in the semifinal of a Grand Slam and this is what it means…#USOpen pic.twitter.com/Ws2ya4mivQ
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 4, 2018
Stephens, 25, put pressure on her opponent’s serve throughout the first set, but failed to convert any of the seven break points in her favor. Sevastova, meanwhile, was a perfect two-for-two. The Latvian continuously stood toe-to-toe with Stephens from the baseline, striking the ball with authority and mixing in the occasional drop shot.
Stephens would finally collect a break on her eighth opportunity, when Sevastova sent a forehand wide, serving at 2-0, 30-40 in the second set. But the Floridian couldn’t consolidate. She would later reel off eight of nine points to secure a second break in the eighth game, but once again failed to consolidate. Sevastova, forced out of the game by injuries in 2013 before launching a comeback nearly two years later, showed some steely resolve, serving it out on her third match-point opportunity.