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US Open 2017: Sloane Stephens starts tournament off in style

By Maxwell Ogden

NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Roberta Vinci of Italy and Sloane Stephens of the United States shake hands after their first round Women's Singles match on Day One of the 2017 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 28, 2017 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Roberta Vinci of Italy and Sloane Stephens of the United States shake hands after their first round Women's Singles match on Day One of the 2017 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 28, 2017 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /
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Sloane Stephens has been climbing back up the WTA Rankings. She continued that ascension against Roberta Vinci at the 2017 US Open.

Sloane Stephens was once regarded—and stereotyped—as the second coming of the Williams Sisters. The past two years have been unkind to Stephens, however, as the 24-year-old has been forced to overcome injuries that resulted in a steep drop into obscurity.

With health and perspective working in her favor, Stephens has secured one of the biggest wins of her young and promising career.

Stephens entered the 2017 Rogers Cup as the No. 934 ranked player in the world. Over the course of the next month, however, she’d complete a tremendous climb from No. 934 to No. 83, due in large part to her deep runs at back-to-back Premier 5 events.

Matched up against a former world No. 1 and US Open finalist, Stephens proved that her recent success was in no way a fluke.

https://twitter.com/usopen/status/902282922757115904

Vinci reached the final at the US Open as recently as 2015, and made it to the quarterfinals in four of the past five years. That makes this win one of relative significance.

The first set was underwhelming, but Stephens remained strong during a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Vinci. She overcame 29 unforced errors by breaking Vinci’s serve on five separate occasions and hitting 10 more winners than her counterpart.

It wasn’t the most aesthetically pleasing of victories, but Stephens proved how much stronger she’s become from a mental perspective since her injury.

Matched up against Vinci, who reached the quarterfinals at the 2016 US Open to continue her remarkable streak, Stephens looked the part of the veteran.

Stephens will move on to the second round, where she’ll face the winner of the clash between Dominika Cibulkova and Jana Cepelova. Cibulkova is the heavy favorite as the No. 10 ranked player in the world and the No. 11 ranked player in the US Open field.

Stephens could have the odds stacked against her, but her recent success implies that she won’t be an easy out.

Must Read: US Open 2017: Players under the most pressure on the women's draw

Sloane Stephens is experiencing a resurgent return to form, and anyone in her path will need to be wary of just how much of a threat she is at the US Open.

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