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Match details
Fixture: Sloane Stephens vs Catherine McNally
Date: 3 August 2021
Tournament: Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic 2021
Round: First round (Round of 32)
Venue: San Jose, United States
Category: WTA 500
Surface: Outdoor hard
Prize money: $565,530
Match timing: Not before 7 pm local time, 2 am GMT, 7.30 am IST
Live telecast: USA - ESPN & Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Sloane Stephens vs Catherine McNally preview
Sloane Stephens and Catherine McNally will face off in an all-American first-round clash at the Silicon Valley Classic in San Jose on Tuesday.
Stephens made a dismal start to the season, suffering a string of first-round losses. She finally managed to get a win under her belt in Miami, before registering her best result of the season in Parma, where she reached the semifinals.
Her poor performances dropped her out of the top 50 for the first time since 2017 and she currently sits at No. 67 in the world.
The Silicon Valley Classic in San Jose is the 2017 US Open champion's first tournament since Wimbledon and she will be looking to turn her season around.
Her opening opponent, Catherine McNally, has found most of her success this year in doubles. She made the quarterfinals at the Australian Open alongside Coco Gauff and won titles in Charleston and Parma.
Her best result in singles was a quarterfinal finish in Guadalajara, Mexico.
The 19-year-old is yet to crack the top 100, but can do so this week with a deep run on home soil.
Sloane Stephens vs Catherine McNally head-to-head
The only meeting between Sloane Stephens and Catherine McNally came in Parma earlier this year. Stephens prevailed in two tight sets and thus leads the head-to-head 1-0.
Sloane Stephens vs Catherine McNally prediction
Sloane Stephens and Catherine McNally possess contrasting styles of play. McNally has plenty of variety in her game and likes to move forward into the net, finishing points off with deft volleys. She also has great footwork and is quick around the court.
Stephens is also among the quickest movers on the WTA tour and has the ability to retrieve almost anything thrown at her. She has much more firepower than McNally from the baseline and can strike winners off both wings. Stephens also has a powerful first serve, although her second has proven to be quite shaky in the past.
Ultimately, Stephens' experience could be the differentiating factor in this match against a young McNally. If Stephens can play at a decent level and avoid getting too passive from the baseline, she should be able to eke out a win.
Prediction: Sloane Stephens to win in three sets.
