Top Two Seeds Stephens and Keys Lose at Citi Open; Qualifier Gauff Falls in First Round

(July 31, 2019) Sweden’s Rebecca Peterson knocked out top seed Sloane Stephens 6-2, 7-5 on Tuesday at the Citi Open in Washington, DC. Stephens won the tournament back in 2015.

The No. 2 seed, Madison Keys, fell to local Hailey Baptiste, 7-6 (4), 6-2. This was the 17-year-old wild card Baptiste’s first main-draw victory on the WTA Tour.

Baptiste grew up minutes away from the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center and often trained at the facility as a member of the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation which is the beneficiary of the Citi Open. Baptiste returns to action on Wednesday night to take on Kristina Mladenovic in the last match on Stadium Court.

“I’ve been coming to this tournament since I was training here,” said Baptiste.  “I guess since I was five years old.  I used to always sneak in.  I never really bought tickets.  I’d sneak in behind the back fences.  I knew some of the people that worked here.  They let me in the back gates. I’ve been coming here since it was Legg Mason, and there were no women playing.  So it’s really cool to get a chance to play on the same stage.”

Eighth seed Monica Puig advanced with a win over Allie Kiick 6-4, 6-2.

In @CitiOpen press, @CocoGauff says she doesn’t expect to play again until @usopen. pic.twitter.com/YqmkUYfUVn

— TennisAtlantic (@TennisAtlantic) July 30, 2019

Qualifer Coco Gauff, the 15-year-old who reached the Wimbledon fourth round, had her tournament end with a loss to No. 84 Zarina Diyas 6-4, 6-2.

“Every loss is something I learn from,” Gauff said in her news conference. “Looking back maybe a few days from now, I think I’ll learn a lot. Obviously, right now, I feel a little bit disappointed.”

Gauff says that she does not expect to play in anymore tournament before the US Open.

In the men’s draw, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga took down second-seeded Karen Khachanov. 6-4, 2-6, 7-5.

“I played very good tennis, just really happy to go through this one. It’s been a long time since I won against a Top 10 player. It’s good for me. It’s good to get some rewards when you’re working well and you play some good matches,” Tsonga said after the match.

Frances Tiafoe won his second-round match against Alexander Bublik 6-1, 7-6(5).

Tiafoe released a statement in lieu of a post-match news conference:

“Unfortunately, at the end of my match today I felt a tweak in my foot. In the interest of making sure I can play my next match to the fullest, I will be getting my foot checked out tonight. I am very happy to return home with a win and want to thank my fans for coming out to support me today.

RESULTS – JULY 30, 2019
Men’s
Singles – Second Round
J. Tsonga (FRA) d [2] K. Khachanov (RUS) 64 26 75
[3] D. Medvedev (RUS) d [WC] B. Fratangelo (USA) 63 64
[6] M. Cilic (CRO) d M. Copil (ROU) 76(4) 76(4)
[13] K. Edmund (GBR) d L. Harris (RSA) 61 64
[16] F. Tiafoe (USA) d A. Bublik (KAZ) 61 76(5)
First Round
J. Thompson (AUS) d [WC] J. Sock (USA) 75 63
M. Kecmanovic (SRB) d A. Popyrin (AUS) 76(6) 63
N. Kyrgios (AUS) d [Q] T. Kwiatkowski (USA) 75 64
Y. Nishioka (JPN) d D. Evans (GBR) 64 61
R. Opelka (USA) d [WC] C. Eubanks (USA) 64 76(3)
[LL] P. Gojowczyk (GER) d A. Rublev (RUS) 76(6) 46 76(2)

Men’s
Doubles – First Round
A. de Minaur (AUS) / J. Peers (AUS) d [WC] L. Paes (IND) / J. Sock (USA) 75 62
[Q] M. Ebden (AUS) / N. Monroe (USA) d N. Mektic (CRO) / F. Skugor (CRO) 26 63 13-11

Women’s
Singles – First Round
R. Peterson (SWE) d [1] S. Stephens (USA) 62 75
[WC] H. Baptiste (USA) d [2] M. Keys (USA) 76(4) 62
[4] S. Hsieh (TPE) d K. Flipkens (BEL) 64 63
[8] M. Puig (PUR) d [WC] A. Kiick (USA) 64 62
C. Giorgi (ITA) d [Q] S. Vickery (USA) 62 75
Z. Diyas (KAZ) d [Q] C. Gauff (USA) 64 62
[WC] C. Mcnally (USA) d L. Zhu (CHN) 64 62
K. Mladenovic (FRA) d S. Rogers (USA) 64 64

Women’s
Doubles – First Round
Y. Hsieh (TPE) / X. You (CHN) d [1] A. Blinkova (RUS) / K. Siniakova (CZE) 26 62 10-8
[3] A. Kalinskaya (RUS) / M. Kato (JPN) d E. Bouchard (CAN) / S. Kenin (USA) 60 62
J. Pegula (USA) / S. Rogers (USA) d E. Bogdan (ROU) / R. Van Der Hoek (NED) 62 57 10-7

WEDNESDAY, JULY 31 – SCHEDULE OF PLAY

CITI OPEN – WASHINGTON, USA
$2,046,340 (ATP)
$250,000 (WTA)
29 JULY – 4 AUGUST 2019

ORDER OF PLAY – WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2019
STADIUM start 2:00 pm
ATP – H. Hurkacz (POL) vs [5] J. Isner (USA)

Not Before 4:30 pm
ATP – A. Murray (GBR) / J. Murray (GBR) vs N. Mahut (FRA) / E. Roger-Vasselin (FRA)

Not Before 7:00 pm
ATP – [1] S. Tsitsipas (GRE) vs [WC] T. Paul (USA)

Not Before 9:00 pm
WTA – K. Mladenovic (FRA) vs [WC] H. Baptiste (USA)

JOHN HARRIS COURT start 1:00 pm
ATP – [4] K. Anderson (RSA) vs A. Mannarino (FRA)
ATP – R. Opelka (USA) vs [9] F. Auger-Aliassime (CAN)
ATP – [8] M. Raonic (CAN) vs [Q] T. Smyczek (USA)
ATP – [11] G. Simon (FRA) vs N. Kyrgios (AUS)
ATP – J. Thompson (AUS) vs [14] J. Struff (GER)

GRANDSTAND start 1:00 pm
WTA – J. Pegula (USA) vs I. Swiatek (POL)
WTA – L. Davis (USA) vs [3] S. Kenin (USA)
WTA – [8] M. Puig (PUR) vs [Q] A. Kalinskaya (RUS)
WTA – Y. Hsieh (TPE) / X. You (CHN) vs [WC] C. Gauff (USA) / C. Mcnally (USA)
ATP – B. Bryan (USA) / M. Bryan (USA) vs [WC] T. Huey (PHI) / D. Kudla (USA)

COURT 4 start 1:00 pm
ATP – M. Kecmanovic (SRB) vs [15] P. Herbert (FRA)
ATP – [10] B. Paire (FRA) vs [Q] M. Polmans (AUS)
ATP – [LL] P. Gojowczyk (GER) vs [12] A. de Minaur (AUS)
ATP – Y. Nishioka (JPN) vs [7] D. Goffin (BEL)
WTA – A. Bai (AUS) / E. Lechemia (FRA) vs [2] Y. Wang (CHN) / Z. Yang (CHN)

COURT 5 start 1:00 pm
ATP – [4] M. Pavic (CRO) / B. Soares (BRA) vs J. Rojer (NED) / H. Tecau (ROU)
WTA – N. Broady (GBR) / S. Fichman (CAN) vs B. Gumulya (INA) / J. Rompies (INA)
WTA – Q. Gleason (USA) / I. Neel (USA) vs [4] M. Sanchez (USA) / F. Stollar (HUN)
ATP – K. Krawietz (GER) / A. Mies (GER) vs [3] R. Klaasen (RSA) / M. Venus (NZL)
ATP – [Q] M. Ebden (AUS) / N. Monroe (USA) vs [2] L. Kubot (POL) / M. Melo (BRA)