Sloane Stephens triumphs in hard-fought battle at Brisbane International, prepares for clash with Elise Mertens

Former US Open champion Sloane Stephens showcased her resilience, securing a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Katerina Siniakova on Sunday.

Stephens, who reached a career-high ranking of three in 2018, displayed her prowess by breaking her Czech opponent once in each set, paving the way for an anticipated second-round face-off against the 13th seeded Belgian, Elise Mertens.

Reflecting on her hard-fought win, Stephens shared, “It was obviously a good match. It’s always really tough starting the year — you just don’t really know what’s going to happen, so I think being able to come here and get a win was really nice. I’m really proud of that performance.”

The first-round action at Brisbane International witnessed other compelling battles. Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk staged a comeback to overcome Romanian Ana Bogdan with a scoreline of 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Italian Camila Giorgi secured a victory against American Peyton Stearns, winning 5-7, 6-2, 6-3.

Australian wildcard Arina Rodionova delivered a stunning upset, defeating higher-ranked Italian Martina Trevisan 6-3, 6-2, while Anna Kalinskaya dominated American Bernarda Pera with a convincing 6-2, 6-1 win.

Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva displayed her talent with a 6-2, 6-3 triumph over compatriot Diana Shnaider.

The spotlight now shifts to the eagerly awaited comeback of former world number one Naomi Osaka, scheduled for Monday against Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch.

In the men’s draw, Australian Alexei Popyrin emerged victorious in a thrilling all-Australian clash against Chris O’Connell, securing a 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/4) win. Meanwhile, Alexander Shevchenko triumphed over Frenchman Luca Van Assche with a scoreline of 6-3, 6-2.

As the tournament progresses, all eyes will be on men’s top seed Holger Rune, set to open his campaign against Australian Max Purcell, while second seed Grigor Dimitrov is poised for a face-off against former world number one Andy Murray.

The Brisbane International promises to be a spectacle of intense competition and stellar performances.