SAN DIEGO: US teenager Sloane Stephens shocked seventh-seeded German Julia Goerges 6-3, 7-5 on Wednesday at the WTA San Diego Open to earn her first career victory over a Top 20 player.
Stephens, ranked 131, ambushed the 20th-ranked Goerges, who won the Stuttgart title on clay and beat number one Caroline Wozniacki twice in the first half of the season. Stephens was 0-3 against the Top 20 before beating Goerges.
Russian Vera Dushevina ousted another seed at La Costa, defeating Slovenian Polona Hercog 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the 2nd round.
Austrian Tamira Paszek did the same but without firing a shot as number 11 Russian Maria Kirilenko withdrew before their second-round match due to a left hip injury.
Pasek and Stephens now face off in a battle of young guns for a quarter-final spot.
France’s Virginie Razzano, a quarter-finalist last week in Maryland, continued her good hardcourt form by taking out New Zealand’s Marina Erakovic 6-1, 6-3. Stephens, 18, won back-to-back matches for the first time in her career at the WTA level after beating China’s Zhang Shuai in the 1st round. (Agencies)
