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Sloane Stephens: do not consider her an underdog at RG18

By Harry Floyd

PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 07: Sloane Stephens of The United States plays a forehand during the ladies singles semi-final match against Madison Keys of The United States during day twelve of the 2018 French Open at Roland Garros on June 7, 2018 in Paris, France. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 07: Sloane Stephens of The United States plays a forehand during the ladies singles semi-final match against Madison Keys of The United States during day twelve of the 2018 French Open at Roland Garros on June 7, 2018 in Paris, France. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images) /
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American tennis star Sloane Stephens reaches the finals at the 2018 French Open. She is not quite an underdog as she takes on Simona Halep.

Sloane Stephens has a shot at another Grand Slam title. Last year, she defeated fellow countrywoman Madison Keys to earn a win at the 2017 US Open. Now, she takes on the current world number one in women’s singles tennis. Simona Halep, a Romanian great who has appeared on the verge of a major tournament title for some time, takes on the up and coming American Stephens. While Halep might normally be considered a heavy favorite, that cannot be said this time around. Action at Roland Garros can go either way this week.

Halep is seeking redemption at the French Open after finishing runner-up last year.

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Stephens is red hot right now. Of course, both she and Halep are having fantastic runs at the 2018 French Open, but Stephens in particular has been reinvigorated. This is the furthest she has ever reached at Roland Garros. Plus, now that she has a Grand Slam win at her back, you cannot predict Halep to be the outright winner just yet. While the Romanian does have a slight edge throughout their careers, anything can happen in the French Open finals.

Simona Halep posts a 5-2 career WTA singles record against Sloane Stephens. The American, however, is a US Open champion and brings a vast amount of experience to the table for someone her age.

Next: Halep or Stephens at RG18?

The 2018 French Open could not ask for a better pairing in the finals. Women’s singles tennis is experiencing a resurgence on the WTA Tour as of late. Simona Halep and Sloane Stephens are two of the best in the sport this year. Both are entering their primes and appear poised to be on top of the WTA Tour for years to come. A title-win for either player will be huge moving forward. World number one Halep might have a slight edge, but Stephens is right there with her. If the women’s singles pairing is any indication of what’s happening at the French Open this year, we ought to expect an incredible match on the men’s side too. Semifinals action goes down for them tomorrow before the ultimate finals meeting this weekend.

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