French Open: Sloane Stephens beats Garbine Muguruza to reach quarter-final
- Published
Sloane Stephens was beaten by Simona Halep in last year's final
2019 French Open |
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Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Dates: 26 May-9 June |
Coverage: Live text and radio commentary on selected matches on the BBC Sport website and app. |
Sloane Stephens saw off Garbine Muguruza in straight sets to set up a French Open quarter-final against British number one Johanna Konta.
Stephens, runner-up at Roland Garros last year, beat the 2016 champion 6-4 6-3 in one hour 40 minutes in Paris.
The 26-year-old seventh seed needed five match points to close out the final set on Court Philippe Chatrier.
She will now face Konta, who has beaten her twice this year including in the Italian Open third round two weeks ago.
Konta earlier defeated Croatian 23rd seed Donna Vekic 6-2 6-4 to reach her maiden quarter-final at Roland Garros and the last eight of a Grand Slam for the first time since she did so at Wimbledon in 2017.
Muguruza started the brightest as she broke Stephens in her opening game of the match, with the American failing to register a point.
The 25-year-old Spaniard threatened again with five break points in the third game, but Stephens held on and responded with successive breaks of her own.
The momentum continued to switch hands as 2017 Wimbledon champion Muguruza recovered to bring it back to serve before Stephens earned the vital break and managed to close out the opening set.
Stephens, having missed an earlier chance to break, finally took the advantage in the second set as Muguruza fired a volley from close range into the net tape.
It handed the 2017 US Open champion a chance to serve for a place in the last eight, only for Muguruza to save four match points as Stephens struggled to close out.
A battling Muguruza then had a chance to break herself, but an ace from Stephens swung the game back in her favour and this time she made no mistake in closing out to seal victory.