American Teen Stephens Among the Women Advancing at French Open
June 1, 2012 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
In Friday action at the 2012 French Open, American teen Sloane Stephens reached the fourth round with a 6-3, 6-2 win against Mathilde Johansson of France. The 19-year-old Stephens was the only one to reach the third round out of the eight teenagers in the draw. Next up for the unseeded Stephens is 2011 U.S. Open champion and number six seed, Australian Samantha Stosur.
Also advancing was world number two-ranked Maria Sharapova of Russia, a 6-1, 6-1 victor over Ayumi Morita of Japan. The Sharapova-Morita match was originally scheduled for Thursday, but was pushed back to Friday due to the nearly six-hour match between John Isner and France’s Paul-Henri Mathieu. In order for Sharapova to complete a career Grand Slam, she still needs to win at Roland Garros. Sharapova next faces 28th-seeded Shuai Peng of China for a trip to the Round of 16.
Eliminated from contention at Roland Garros was both the 13th-seeded Ana Ivanovic of Serbia and the number three seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland. Ivanovic lost to Sara Errani of Italy 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, while Radwanska was routed by 2009 French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, 6-1, 6-2, just two days after Radwanska eliminated Venus Williams from contention.
