Serena rolls at U.S. Open; Sloane Stephens match next, The question posed to Serena Williams was rather simple.Is it fair to say Sloane Stephens has emerged as a rival heading into their fourth-round showdown Sunday at the U.S. Open?
Stephens is, after all, one of only three women to beat Williams this season. She's also one of only three women — Williams, naturally, is another — to reach the round of 16 at every Grand Slam tournament in 2013. And Stephens is climbing up the rankings, enough to be seeded 15th at Flushing Meadows behind No. 1 Williams.
Faced with that query in the
wee hours of Saturday, after both women had won in the third round to set up their much-anticipated match, Williams exhaled.
"I don't know," she began. "I mean, definitely. I mean, anyone that's playing tennis and that's doing as well as her, you can definitely say that."
OK, then.
From the moment the draw came out at Flushing Meadows, there was one particular possible match in the fourth round that grabbed attention: defending U.S. Open champion Williams against the up-and-coming Stephens, the top two American women.
"It's something," Stephens said, "I think everyone is looking forward to."
Williams is 31 and owns 16 major titles. Stephens is 20 and already carrying the label of "Next Big Thing." The last time they played each other, in the Australian Open quarterfinals, Stephens surprisingly won, one of only four losses in 67 matches for Williams in 2013 (she was beaten by Victoria Azarenka twice, and Sabine Lisicki once).
And then there's this: Stephens found herself in a bit of a brouhaha this year over less-than-flattering comments she made to a reporter about Williams.
"That's all old news now, and we've moved on. We're fine, so I think that's all that matters," Stephens said Friday.
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