Staff Reporter.
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Sloane Stephens celebrated her birthday in style as she beat Germany’s Angelique Kerber 6-2 6-3 on Wednesday in a one-sided battle between former Grand Slam champions to reach the second round of the Miami Open.
Stephens, a 31-year-old Florida native and the 2018 Miami Open champion, converted four of her eight break point chances against Kerber and dropped serve once in the 70-minute match.
“I came out with a gameplan, I was very clear with that, and I didn’t really deviate from that,” Stephens said during her on-court interview.
“I just tried to play the best I could and give the best effort I could and I’m happy to be through with the win.”
Up next for the 2017 US Open champion, who fell in the third round at Indian Wells last week, will be a clash with Romania’s Sorana Cirstea.
World number 41 Stephens was barely tested in the first set which she wrapped up in style with her second break of the frame, this one coming at love.
Kerber, a three-times Grand Slam winner who returned to the tour in January after an 18-month maternity break, was looking to build on her fourth-round showing at Indian Wells.
She appeared more comfortable early in the second set but was ultimately undone by a rash of errors.
Stephens took advantage and consolidated a break for a 5-2 lead and then went on to serve out the match with a routine hold that she punctuated with a forehand to the open court.
With the win, Stephens improved to 6-2 in head-to-bead meetings with Kerber.
Afterward, Stephens cited that initial loss as a factor in her ensuing dominance.
“[Kerber was] one of the first people I ever played on tour,” she said. “I was up 6-2, 5-2 and I ended up losing the match. It was the hardest match I’d ever lost. After that, I just got it into my head to play her. Obviously she’s such a great champion and she’s had so many great results and a career people can only dream of, so to be able to play well against her is incredible.”
Meanwhile Simona Halep hit back at Caroline Wozniacki after the Dane criticised the decision to give her a wildcard into the tournament.
She was given a warm welcome by the Miami crowd before fading as she lost 6-1, 4-6, 3-6 in her first game since the 2022 US Open.
Halep said she did not understand her motivation.
“Why did she say that? I didn’t do anything wrong. I didn’t cheat. I didn’t dope. So it’s better if we read the decision from CAS that it was a contaminated supplement, it wasn’t doping. I never had something to do with doping. I never doped, so I’m not a cheater.
“Thank you to the tournament for giving me the wild card and have the possibility to play in such a big tournament. It was great to be back,” said the 32-year-old.