Sloane Stephens is through to the Australian Open fourth round for the first time since 2014, breaking the resistance of Petra Martic 7-6(6) 7-6(5) at Margaret Court Arena on Friday.
In a quality two-hour battle of punishing rallies, No.5 seed Stephens came from a break down in both sets and was thwarted serving for the match at 6-5 in the second, before finishing with a forehand pass.
A single point separated them in the end – 81 to 80. The American racquet-clapped her beaten opponent as she walked off court.
“It was such a good match,” said the 25-year-old Stephens. “This is why we play tennis, to have competition like this.” Commentator Mark Petchey was a bit more effusive, calling it “an absolute masterpiece of a match.”
The third round is pretty much make-or-break for the famously streaky 2017 US Open winner. Once she passes the midpoint of a tournament, Stephens almost always makes the final.
Certainly the smooth all-courter is finding her range and building ominous form at Melbourne Park. She is yet to drop a set against No.31 seeded Martic, Timea Babos and Taylor Townsend.
Stephens started slowly against the taller Croat, dropping her opening game and going down 2-0. Martic, seeded in a major for the first time, is a fine mover and gritty competitor, willing to break up baseline barrages with drop shots and surprise net forays.
But the American, forever probing weakness, was able to exploit her opponent’s forehand, with its laboured wind-up. Stephens levelled at 4-all, aided by two Martic forehand misses. Another forehand error on set-point, after the Croat had led 2-0, handed Stephens the tiebreak 8-6.
The American glides about the court and affects a serene exterior, but a fist-pump and cry of “Fight” revealed her determination. A disappointed Martic, meanwhile, was issued a warning for racquet abuse.
Again it was the Croat who gained the early break, Stephens flubbing three points to go down 3-1 and remonstrating with herself. But she evened up in the very next game with a backhand pass winner, and another war cry.
Martic, who made the fourth round here in 2018 against Elise Mertens, would be denied an early 28th birthday present for tomorrow. Instead it was Stephens who celebrated, notching her 200th career win.
“It’s nothing compared to Roger (Federer) – he has like 12,000 wins, but I’m happy to win it here in Australia,” Stephens said.
“Thanks for the support,” she told the crowd. “You guys were loud and intense.”
Much like Sloane Stephens in the winning zone.
Next up is unseeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who powered past Aliaksandra Sasnovich for the loss of three games. The American and Russian had a fiery exchange in Beijing last October, which went Stephens’ way.