On Friday, Varvara Gracheva and Sloane Stephens will come into contact during the second round of the 2023 WTA Merida Open.
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After a two-hour struggle, Varvara Gracheva defeated Tatjana Maria 3-6, 6-4, 6-2. The 22-year-old lost to Kimberly Birrell after competing in the tournament as a qualifier. She did, however, receive a main draw entry according to the lucky loser rule. Gracheva has had a far better season than Stephens has, on the whole. She has a record of 7-7 thus far, with her best performance coming in the third round of the Australian Open when she defeated current World No. 8 Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 6-1. Varvara most recently competed at Linz, Austria, where she finished last in the qualifiers but advanced to the main event due to the LL rule. She defeated Anna Blinkova in the first set before losing in straight sets against Maria Sakkari.
Leolia Jeanjean was defeated by Sloane Stephens 6-1, 6-3 to kick off her campaign in Merida. The American served four aces and won 81% of the first-service points throughout the little more than an hour-long encounter. The 2023 season has begun for the current World No. 41 with that. She had a disappointing start to the Australian Open swing, losing three of her opening-round matches before arriving in Mexico. The two-time Grand Slam finalist, who hadn’t won a set all season, would have been extremely relieved to have faced Leolia Jeanjean. Stephens has experienced significant form issues ever since breaking into the top 10 in 2018. Because of her title run and quarterfinal appearances at the French Open and Guadalajara Open, she won her first singles trophy in more than four years last year. Even so, her overall record remained 18-17. It’s interesting that the tile originated in Zapopan, right here in Mexico. She might rediscover her rhythm in the country, but this time on the east coast.
| Sloane Stephens vs Varvara Gracheva | Match details |
|---|---|
| Date | February 22, 2023 |
| Surface | Hard |
| Tournament | Merida Open |
| Stage | Round of 16 |
| Time (India) | 05:30 am |
| Opponent | Score |
|---|---|
| Anastasia Popatova | 6-7, 4-6 (L) |
| Lauren Davis | 2-6, 2-6 (L) |
| Rebeka Masarova | 3-6, 6-7 (L) |
| Jessica Pegula | 2-6, 2-6 (L) |
| Carolina Garcia | 7-6, 7-5 (W) |
| Opponent | Score |
|---|---|
| Tatjana Maria | 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 (W) |
| Kimberly Birrell | 3-6, 3-6 (L) |
| Emaliana Arango | 6-1, 6-2 (W) |
| Maria Sakkari | 4-6, 2-6 (L) |
| Anna Blinkova | 7-5, 7-5 (W) |
Gracheva, Varvara, is ahead 1-0. The Phillip Island Trophy, a WTA 250 tournament held in Melbourne in early 2021, saw her win 6-2, 6-2 in the opening round; it was the second of her 11 top 50 victories overall. After losing in the first or second round in 20 of her last 23 matches, Sloane Stephens is likely to prevail this time.
Sloane Stephens and Varvara Gracheva will take on each other in the round of 16 of the 2023 ATP Merida Open on February 24.
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