World no. 36 Sloane Stephens will meet world no. 156 Ann Li in an all-American first round clash at the 2023 Guadalajara Open on Sunday, September 17. Get the predictions and odds of this Sloane Stephens v Ann Li match along with its preview, head to head, and tips here.
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Sloane Stephens v Ann Li Head to Head
They have never met before.
Also Read:
Stephens Was a Quarterfinalist Last Year
A quarterfinalist last year, Sloane Stephens returns to the WTA 1000 in Guadalajara in mixed form. She has looked good in a few tournaments but has failed to make deep runs on a consistent basis this year.
Stephens is 6-6 from her last 6 tournaments and that includes round of 16 finishes in Montreal and Cincinnati and a quarterfinal finish in Cleveland.
A seven-time tour level champion from 10 finals, Stephens has played in two WTA 1000 finals, winning in Miami in 2018 and finishing runner-up at the Canadian Open the same year.
The 2017 US Open champion has not reached a final since winning the Guadalajara 1 title in February last year.
This year, Stephens has a 24-19 record across levels. She won a WTA 125 title in Saint Malo, reached the fourth round of the French Open and the semifinals in Rabat, besides finishing as a quarterfinalist in Merida, Austin and Cleveland.
She will be looking to get off to a quick start on Sunday.
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Li Gets a Free Pass Into the Main Draw
Ann Li made it to the main draw without having to play her second qualifying round match on Saturday, as her opponent Monica Niculescu withdrew from the contest.
Li, the world no. 156, had trounced her first qualifying round opponent Jessica Failla 6-1, 6-1 on Friday.
With that win, Li had improved her season record to 28-21.
The 23-year-old has seen a considerable dip in form and rankings over the last 18 months. Li had reached a career-high of no. 44 in January last year, but had fallen out of the top 100 by the end of 2022.
She didn’t make a promising start this year and even fell out of top 200 in April. But has slowly climbed up to her current ranking of no. 156.
Among her accomplishments this year was a runner-up finish in Bonita Springs ITF. She was also a semifinalist in Orlando 4 ITF and a quarterfinalist in Valencia Challenger. Most recently she qualified for the Cincinnati Open and won her first round match for her first win at the tour level this year. Can she win another on Sunday?
Stephens v Li Prediction and Tip
Stephens is the better player, in far better form and also the more experienced of the two. She should not have a lot of trouble in cruising past her opening round opponent.
Tips:
- Low Risk Tip: Stephens to win: 1/3 (with bet365)
- Moderate Risk Tip: Under 19.5 games in the match: 4/6 (with bet365)
The 2023 Guadalajara Open will be played from September 18 to 24. You can get all the tennis betting news with our tennis betting blog here. Also get rest of the tennis match previews here.
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