Sloane Stephens outflanks Shuai Zhang in the 1st round – Mercury Open 2011
Tuesday August 2nd, 2011 saw the continuation of the first round of the Mercury Open 2011, Carlsbad, California. The match was placed and this was the first time the two players were to contest against each other at
the La Costa Resort and Spa. It was a comfortable victory for the American Sloane Stephens against her Chinese opponent Shuai Zhang. Finishing the match in just 68 minutes and 25 seconds, Stephens won 6-4, 6-2.
Zhang served first with served with a lot of nervousness and hit an ace and in the next couple of minutes hit a double fault along with, another line fault during the set. With an average serve she was able to win fifty six percent
of her total service points along with a poor return serve, she attained a pathetic thirty five percent of her total return points. Additionally, she let her defence slip a number of times and was unable to save any of her break points but managed to win 50%
of her break points.
Stephens had an immaculate precession and struck zero double faults along with winning a commendable 65% of her total serve points. Although, she had attained only forty four percent of her total return points, she had a better
return serve than Zhang’s. Her defence was like a an ox that didn’t move and she managed to save 50% of her break points along with breaking her opponent twice, hence, she bagged a 100% of her break points. She won the set with a mere 4 more points than Zhang’s.
After pummelling in the first set; Zhang should’ve bounced back, however that was not what fate had planned for her. Zhang’s performance fell further into the abyss and with a wobbly hand struck three double faults. Her defence
was weak and she was not capable of saving all her break points instead managed to save only 2 and broke her opponent once.
The 22-year-old, Zhang had a pathetic serve along with, a mediocre return she attained a below the par 39% of her total set points.
Stephens had a sagacious style and technique and won the set because of a consistent attack and defence. Overall; the 18-year-old had won a commendable 59% of her total serve points along with an exceptional 69% win in her total
return points. Luck was not on the world number 88 (Zhang’s) side and she lost the set with 11 fewer points than Stephens.
Sloane Stephens had luck and practice on her side. She was able to qualify into the second round without any difficulty and won the match in a run of a mill victory of straight sets.
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