By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday May 27, 2018
A ruthless Sloane Stephens required just 49 minutes demolishing Arantxa Rus, 6-2, 6-0, to roll into the Roland Garros second round.
Photo credit: Miami Open Facebook
Sloane Stephens transformed Roland Garros opening day into demolition day.
A ruthless Stephens reeled off eight consecutive games closing a commanding 6-2, 6-0 conquest of Arantxa Rus in just 49 minutes to roll into the Roland Garros second round for the sixth time.
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An impeccable Stephens hit 15 more winners (17 to 2) than the lucky loser, served 72 percent and won nine of 10 points played on her second serve.
"It was nice and quick," Stephens told Tennis Channel's Jon Wertheim afterward. "It wasn't easy, but it was fast, which is good."
The reigning US Open champion carried a double dose of motivation onto the new Court 18. Stephens missed Paris last year while recovering from a right foot injury and confronted an opponent who nearly knocked her out of Acapulco two months ago.
Rus held a match point against the 25-year-old American before Stephens battled back for a 5-7, 7-6 (6), 6-0 triumph in an Acapulco struggle that spanned two hours, 24 minutes.
After starting the Grand Slam season with an opening-round exit at the Australian Open in January, Stephens was in no mood for drama in today's rematch.
Playing on the new semi-sunken Court 18, Stephens came out exuding energy and intensity controlling the center of the court from the start.
Breaking for the first time in the fourth game, Stephens backed up the break at 30 for 4-1.
The left-handed Rus held for 2-4, but that was her last stand. Rus could not make inroads against an unerring Stephens.
The 10th-seeded American was solid on serve and hit heavier topspin to pin Rus backhand the baseline before flattening out her drives.
Stephens won eight of nine points played on her second serve and did not face a break point in the opening set.
When Rus rattled her third double fault, Stephens had the 28-minute opener.
Stephens slashed a forehand winner down the line extending her second-set lead to 3-0 just seven minutes into the second set.
By then, Stephens had pounded out 12 winners compared to one for Rus.
Playing her first Grand Slam since the 2013 Wimbledon, Rus struggled to gain traction the longer rallies against her quick-footed opponent.
Stephens played high-percentage tennis, putting plenty of returns in play and hitting her topspin with ample margin over the net. Rus tried squeezing shots closer to the lines but scattered a backhand wide as Stephens broke for the third time in a row for 4-0.
Continuing to drag her opponent corner-to-corner, Stephens closed a 49-minute thrashing when Rus netted a forehand.
The Miami Open champion will play either 102nd-ranked Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova or Poland's Magdalena Frech in round two. Stephens, whose best French Open results were four consecutive fourth-round finishes from 2012-2015, is aiming for a deeper run this time around.
"I hope I have a good result," Stephens said. "I really love it. I love red clay. (I've made) fourth round a couple of years in a row, which is not bad, pretty good as an American. I hope I can really push and maybe get to the quarters."
No. 25-seeded Anett Kontaveit fended off American Madison Brengle, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2, and will face either another American, Christina McHale, or Romania's Alexandra Dulgheru in the second round.
Reigning Wimbledon doubles champion Ekaterina Makarova denied five of six break points dismissing Sasai Zhang, 6-4, 6-1, Makarova will meet Barbora Strycova in the second round. The 26th-seeded Czech rallied past Kurumi Nara, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4.
No. 32-seeded Alize Cornet rallied for a 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory over former French Open finalist Sara Errani, leveling her record with the former doubles world No. 1 at 4-4.
Cornet will face the winner of the all-French first-rounder between 240th-ranked Chloe Pacquet and 32-year-old veteran Pauline Parmentier.