Seventeen-Year-Old Duval Stuns Stosur at Open

The match of Day Two at the 2013 US Open turned out to be an unexpected one as American teenager Victoria Duval stunned 2011 U.S. Open champion Samantha Stosur in the tournament’s first round Tuesday. The 17-year-old qualifier, ranked 296th in the world, won 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, leaping into the air in celebration after converting her fourth match point with a forehand winner sending a very pro Duval crowd on Louis Armstrong Stadium into a frenzy and beginning chants of USA, USA, USA! Duval was playing in just her second Grand Slam match. She also faced a former U.S. Open champ, Kim Clijsters, in the first round at Flushing Meadows last year. Duval was facing a top-20 opponent for the first time Tuesday.

"I know she didn’t play her best today, and this is the best I’ve played in my career, so I’m really excited," Duval told the Louis Armstrong Stadium crowd. "I just tried to stay in the moment."

The 11th-seeded Stosur had reached at least the quarterfinals in her last three trips to the U.S. Open. She had 56 unforced errors and was her own worst enemy on this day.

Duval was born in Miami but lived in Haiti until she moved back to the United States at the age of eight. She trains in Bradenton, Fla.

In the last match of the night on Arthur Ashe Stadium Court, Victoria Azarenka faced a bit of a test in the first round. After needing 10 minutes to break serve at the outset, the second-seeded Azarenka breezed the rest of the way, putting together a 6-0, 6-0 straight-sets victory over 99th-ranked Dinah Pfizenmaier of Germany

The match was played in Arthur Ashe Stadium, where Azarenka lost in three sets to Serena Williams in last year’s final at Flushing Meadows.

This one was far, far less competitive or gripping, except perhaps for the opening game, which lasted 18 points spread over 10 minutes, until two-time Australian Open champion Azarenka converted her sixth break point. The rest of the match took a total of 55 minutes.

"There are things, you know, I feel like should be better," Azarenka said. "But overall, it’s a good start."

Credit all photos to Adam Wolfthal

Samantha Stosur congratulates Victoria Duval on her Tuesday night win at Ashe 

2011 U.S. Open winner Samantha Stosur was upset in the first round of the 2013 U.S. Open

Ranked 296th in the world, Victoria Duval passed her first test of the 2013 U.S. Open in her first round shocker over Samantha Stosur