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In a duel between two struggling players, former US Open champion Sloane Stephens takes on 2016 French Open doubles winner Caroline Garcia for a place in the second round of the Western and Southern Open.
After reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open in 2019, Stephens failed to make the last-eight in her nine subsequent tournaments of the year. And 2020 hasn't looked any different so far either.
The World No. 37 has crashed out in the first round in five of the six tournaments she has played this year. The results are shocking for a player of the caliber of Sloane Stephens, who has made it to at least the quarterfinal of every Grand Slam.
Caroline Garcia meanwhile had given an impressive account of herself in the grass season last year, as she won at Nottingham and made the quarters of the Mallorca Open. But the Frenchwoman went on a downward spiral soon after that, and hasn't recovered from that slump yet.
In 2020, Garcia has tasted success only four times in 10 matches - a record that isn't quite befitting an erstwhile World No. 4.
Sloane Stephens vs Caroline Garcia head-to-head
The 49th-ranked Caroline Garcia leads the head-to-head against Sloane Stephens 2-1. Garcia mastered Stephens on hardcourt at the 2014 Fed Cup, and also in their most recent encounter on the clay of Rome. The solitary win for Stephens came on grass at Eastbourne 2014.
Interestingly, all three matches finished in straight sets.
Sloane Stephens vs Caroline Garcia prediction
Motivation and hunger will likely play a bigger role in the outcome of this match than strategy or tactics. Both Sloane Stephens and Caroline Garcia are capable of achieving a lot more than they have been recently, and so would be desperate to hit the reset button.
Stephens' speed and footwork are among the best on the tour, and she can use her defense to outlast any player in the world. Garcia on the other hand is a highly aggressive player who can use her lethal forehand and smart net play to take the match out of her opponent's hands.
While Garcia has the edge in the head-to-head and has also won more matches than Stephens this year, it is difficult to pick her as the outright winner.
Stephens played at the Top Seed Open when the tour restarted and also at the World Team Tennis before that, which would have given her a decent amount of match practice. A wildcard at the Western & Southern Open, the American can also draw inspiration from playing at the same venue where she won her only Slam three years ago.
This might not be a pretty match to watch, but has all the ingredients to become the first three-setter the two have ever contested.
Prediction: Sloane Stephens to win in three sets.
Match details
Tournament: Western & Southern Open 2020
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York, USA
Category: WTA Premier 5
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $1,950,079
Match timing: Not before 3 pm EDT, 12.30 am IST (August 24, 2020)
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN
