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Match Details
Fixture: (5) Sloane Stephens vs (PR) Taylor Townsend
Tournament: ATX Open
Round: First round (Round of 32)
Venue: Westwood Country Club, Austin, Texas, USA
Category: WTA 250
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt
Prize money: $259,303
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Sloane Stephens vs Taylor Townsend preview
Sloane Stephens and Taylor Townsend will face off in an All-American first-round showdown at the 2023 ATX Open.
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Stephens started the year on a losing note, suffering a straight sets loss against Rebeka Masarova in the first round of the ASB Classic. Her fortunes didn't improve after that, going down to Lauren Davis in the opening round of the Hobart International.
Stephens made another first-round exit as she failed to get past the opening hurdle at the Australian Open as well. The 2017 US Open champion secured her first win of the season at last week's Merida Open. She defeated Leolia Jeanjean comfortably to reach the second round.
Stephens then knocked out Varvara Gracheva in three sets to reach the quarterfinals. Up against Camila Giorgi, the American was handed a 6-0, 6-0 beatdown in just 46 minutes.
Townsend hasn't played too many singles matches this season. She failed to get past the qualifying rounds at the two tournaments in Adelaide. However, she did claim the doubles titles at both of those events.
The 26-year old defeated Diane Parry in the first round of the Australian Open, but lost to Ekaterina Alexandrova in three sets later on. Townsend also made it to the quarterfinals of the mixed doubles.
Sloane Stephens vs Taylor Townsend head-to-head
Stephens leads Townsend 1-0 in the head-to-head. She won their previous encounter at the 2019 Australian Open in straight sets.
Sloane Stephens vs Taylor Townsend odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Sloane Stephens vs Taylor Townsend prediction
Townsend is primarily a doubles player these days, but she is more than capable of giving singles players a tough fight. She'll fancy her chances against Stephens given the former US Open champion's disappointing results.
Stephens was completely listless during her most recent loss against Giorgi at the Merida Open. The American was outplayed tactically from start to finish as she barely put up a fight. The 29-year old has won just a couple of matches this year.
Stephens is comparatively quicker around the court than Townsend and can outlast her in baseline duels. The latter, however, has a perfect sense of timing when it comes to approaching the net.
Townsend's doubles experience has only made her better and she's no stranger to bothering her opponents by trying to serve and volley. It's likely to come down to how her compatriot plays in the end.
If Stephens plays at the same level as she did against Giorgi, this could result in another quick loss for her. But if she manages to raise her level, Townsend might find it difficult to stop her.
Pick: Sloane Stephens to win in three sets.
