Top-seeded American Sloane Stephens will continue her run in the 2019 Mexican Open in Acapulco; to face the Brazilian qualifier Beatriz Haddad Maia in the second round. The match will be played on Wednesday, February 27, at 4:00 pm local time (10:00 pm BST).
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Sloane Stephens v Beatriz Haddad Maia Head to Head
This is the first time that the two ladies are meeting each other on the WTA Tour.
Stephens Off to a Great Start
Sloane Stephens has started her campaign in Acapulco with a straight-set victory over the Frenchwoman Pauline Parmentier. She won comfortably with 6-2, 6-2, to reach the second round.
American No. 1 is definitely looking to better her performance in the previous season when she had a record-breaking spell. She was the runner-up in three major tournaments – a feat that helped her cement her position in the top five, despite a poor start to the 2019 season.
She lost to Simona Halep in the final of French Open and Canadian Open following which, she gradually reached the final in the WTA Finals. There too, she incurred a final defeat but this time, it was at the hands of Elina Svitolina.
As for her run so far, she played mainly in the Australian Open Series where her best run came in Melbourne. Starting as World No. 5, she made it as far as the fourth round where she lost to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Stephens is quite familiar with the turf in Acapulco, having gone the distance back in 2016. That was one of her first major titles on the tour and she won it in style – defeating the Slovakian ace Dominika Cibulkova in the final.
Beatriz Looking to Gain Some Traction
The 22-year-old Brazilian is currently the World No. 172, having spent most of her time on the lower levels of tennis. This time around, however, she appears to be highly determined to make it to the top 100 at least and is starting to focus on the WTA events.
In Acapulco, she originated started in the qualifying rounds and from there, she has fought her way into the main draw. In her opening match this week, she defeated the Romanian qualifier Irina Bara in straight sets to reach the second round.
It is only the second time this year that she has made it to the second round in the main draw. The last time she did this was in the Australian Open, where she lost to Angelique Kerber.
Sloane Stephens v Beatriz Haddad Maia Predictions & Tips
Stephens will start this match as the favorite to win. However, she has incurred a couple of shocking losses already this year, most notable to Yulia Putintseva and Johanna Konta. Therefore, it is evident that she is not immune to the underdogs and therefore, the young Brazilian will fancy her chances here. All in all, this should mark a solid start to the day’s matches that lie ahead in Acapulco.
You can watch & bet on Sloane Stephens v Beatriz Haddad Maia on Wednesday, February 27 here . The match is scheduled for 10 pm BST.
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