WTA Brisbane: Stephens -140
Both Sloane Stephens & Sofia Arvidsson scored scalps of higher ranked players in their openers. Arvidsson beat an ill-prepared Sam Stosur in straights. Stosur had off-season ankle surgery and her prep time for Brisbane was very short. Wish I would have been around yesterday with that information, but found it out post-match. Stephens pounded Cibulkova in straights. She looked confident and took advantage of poor play from Cibulkova. Stephens is marked as one to watch on the women's side this year after a big push up in the rankings last season. She's now just inside the Top 40. She's talked a good game about thriving under the pressure of expectation and is fully recovered from an abdominal injury that cut short her 2012 campaign. I'm looking for her to continue her strong start today. Won't be easy as Arvidsson is a capable sort, but I think the hard courts favor *The Sizzle.
*Not sure if that's a thing, but it should be a thing. Official 2013 nickname campaign.
Both Sloane Stephens & Sofia Arvidsson scored scalps of higher ranked players in their openers. Arvidsson beat an ill-prepared Sam Stosur in straights. Stosur had off-season ankle surgery and her prep time for Brisbane was very short. Wish I would have been around yesterday with that information, but found it out post-match. Stephens pounded Cibulkova in straights. She looked confident and took advantage of poor play from Cibulkova. Stephens is marked as one to watch on the women's side this year after a big push up in the rankings last season. She's now just inside the Top 40. She's talked a good game about thriving under the pressure of expectation and is fully recovered from an abdominal injury that cut short her 2012 campaign. I'm looking for her to continue her strong start today. Won't be easy as Arvidsson is a capable sort, but I think the hard courts favor *The Sizzle.
*Not sure if that's a thing, but it should be a thing. Official 2013 nickname campaign.
