After a sluggish start, Serena Williams rallied to defeat Sloane Stephens in the third round of the United States Open on Saturday. Williams, in pursuit of a record-equaling 24th Grand Slam singles title, struggled on her serve and groundstrokes in the early stages but found a higher gear to prevail 2-6, 6-2, 6-2. It was a matchup of two former U.S. Open champions trying to get back into top form. Stephens, 27, won this title in 2017 and reached the French Open final the following year but has struggled to build on those achievements. She has been in a funk throughout this abbreviated season: winning just one of her nine singles matches in 2020 before playing in the U.S. Open.

Source: New York Times September 05, 2020 20:18 UTC