Sloane Stephens | GlobalPost

Tennis-Teenager Stephens thrills in slaying idol Serena

Thomson ReutersJanuary 23, 2013 05:00

By Ian Ransom MELBOURNE, Jan 23 (Reuters) - American teen Sloane Stephens went to bed on Tuesday wondering if she had the game to topple her idol Serena Williams in the Australian Open quarter-finals, but after beating the five-times Melbourne Park champion in three sets she said it wasn't as hard as she thought. After a tentative start, the 19-year-old went toe-to-toe with an injury-hampered Williams on Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday to claim a 3-6 7-5 6-4 win and set up a semi-final with defending champion Victoria Azarenka.

Tennis-Teenager Stephens realises last eight is 'pretty cool'

Thomson ReutersJanuary 21, 2013 06:00

By Greg Stutchbury MELBOURNE, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Sloane Stephens had a "pretty cool" realisation after she beat Bojana Jovanovski on Monday, she's going to become a member of the Australian Open's "last eight club". The club is an actual players' lounge, but Stephens was referring to a prominent corridor at Melbourne Park where the portraits of the previous year's quarter-finalists are hung.

Tennis-Stephens and Robson offer glimpse of burgeoning rivalry

Thomson ReutersJanuary 19, 2013 08:15

By Simon Cambers MELBOURNE, Jan 19 (Reuters) - The Australian Open offered a glimpse of what could become the rivalry of the future as American Sloane Stephens beat Britain's Laura Robson in a third-round battle on Saturday. The two teenagers battled it out in front of a raucous crowd, with 29th seed Stephens eventually coming through 7-5 6-3 to take her place in the last 16.