The 30-year-old American, who won the US Open in 2017, came back from 2-0 down in the first set to win in just under an hour.
Sloane Stephens advanced to the second round of the Australian Open with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over wild-card entrant Olivia Gadecki on Tuesday.
After trailing 2-0 in the first set, the 30-year-old American, who had won the U.S. Open in 2017, won five straight games and cruised through the second to win in under an hour.
“I’m really happy with how I played,” stated Stephens, who lost in the opening round seven of her previous eight trips to Melbourne and advanced to the tournament’s quarterfinals in 2013.
Making my opponents play is something I’ve been focusing on a lot. I believe I had gotten away from that. happy with the victory.
Later on Tuesday, Carlos Alcaraz, the second-ranked man, will start vying for the crown.
Rod Laver Arena’s final night session match has Alcaraz, the winner of Wimbledon last year, taking on Richard Gasquet.
