WTA: US Open Finalists already out in Wuhan

Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys have already been eliminated in Wuhan in the first round.

The idea of opening Monday in Wuhan with Madison Keys and Sloane Stephens was the charm of the big wide tennis world – at a tournament with a Grand Slam line-up.Only Elina Svitolina and Venus Williams are missing from the ranks of the big stars, otherwise the entire world elite will be at the WTA Premier 5 event.Just like US Open winner Stephens and her opponent Madison Keys, who was defeated in New York a few weeks ago.

For both of them, however, the Wuhan adventure is already over after their first appearance, and this after two quite clear defeats: Keys lost Varvara Lepchenko 2:6 and 6:7 (4) in the first match of the day, while Stephens was defeated by the Chinese woman Qiang Wang with 2:6,2:6.

It was the first appearance for the American women since that match in Flushing Meadows, which Stephens had won 6-3 and 6-0 in a surprisingly smooth manner.Keys started nervously against 31-year-old Lepchenko, had to take a break right at the beginning, obviously had problems with the sultry conditions in Wuhan.Dieter Kindlmann, who supervises Keys in China, admonished a better legwork of his protégé, but at the beginning of the second movement the left wrist was again registered, Keys had to get a tight bandage from the physiotherapist of the WTA.

The second round was more even-tempered, Lepchenko failed to finish 6:5.The left-handed Uzbekistan-born left-hander quickly led the quick decision to 5-1, and won after 1:48 hours.

Stephens was much shorter on the course.Although the current number 17 of the world had four break points in Wang’s second serve game, the Chinese player, who had not left a single game to Kristina Mladenovic in the first round of Tokyo last week, had not been able to play enough.Wang hit better – and made fewer mistakes, especially with the return.The 25-year-old will not have been bothered by the fact that it did not work out until the seventh match point.She will now face the winner of the match between Kiki Bertens and Monica Niculescu.Lepchenko, a key-swinger, is confronted with Sorana Cirstea.

Here the single panel in Wuhan

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