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Match Details
Fixture: Sloane Stephens vs Ajla Tomljanovic.
Tournament: Citi Open 2022.
Round: First round (Round of 32).
Venue: Washington D.C, United States.
Category: WTA 250.
Surface: Hard.
Prize money: $251,750.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Sloane Stephens vs Ajla Tomljanovic preview
2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens will square off against World No. 69 Ajla Tomljanovic in the first round of the 2022 Citi Open.
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Stephens' year has been quite average so far, with a couple of good performances clubbed with frequent early losses. She started the season by losing in the first round of the Australian Open to Emma Raducanu. The American rebounded in style by winning her first title in four years at the WTA 250 in Guadalajara. It was also her seventh career title.
Stephens was then defeated by Naomi Osaka in the first round of the Indian Wells Open. She went a step further at the Miami Open, going out in the second round to Jessica Pegula. She started the clay season by losing in the first round of tournaments in Charleston, Madrid, Rome and Strasbourg.
Stephens then flipped the script by reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open. Her good run of form was short-lived as she concluded the grass season after that without winning a single match.
Back in 2015, Stephens won her maiden career title at the Citi Open. She now arrives at the tournament on a three-match losing streak.
Ajla Tomljanovic's results on hardcourts at the start of the year were quite disappointing. She suffered second-round exits in Adelaide and Sydney, and followed it up with an opening-round loss at the Australian Open.
Tomljanovic then made back-to-back first-round exits from the events in Dubai and Doha. She ended her losing skid by making it to the second round of the Indian Wells Open. However, she lost in the opening round once again at the Miami Open.
A couple of quarterfinals in Istanbul and Rabat were the highlights of her clay swing. Tomljanovic found success on grass courts once again as she reached a second successive quarterfinal at Wimbledon. She lost to eventual winner Elena Rybakina.
Sloane Stephens vs Ajla Tomljanovic head-to-head
The two are familiar rivals, with Stephens having a perfect 6-0 winning record against Tomljanovic. She won their previous encounter at the 2021 Charleston Open in straight sets.
Sloane Stephens vs Ajla Tomljanovic odds
(All odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Sloane Stephens vs Ajla Tomljanovic prediction
Tomljanovic will fancy her chances of scoring her first win over Stephens considering her opponent's poor form for most of the season. The 2017 US Open winner, on the other hand, will be feeling confident about winning as well, as she's up against a player she has dominated for so long.
Stephens' largely defense-oriented game plays the perfect foil to Tomljanovic's big-hitting. The American is effectively able to neutralize her opponent's weapons and use them against her. Her ability to seamlessly switch between defense and offense is a huge asset as well.
For Tomljanovic to solve this conundrum, she'll need to execute her game plan perfectly. Stephens' serve has been misfiring of late, and the Aussie will need to pounce on it whenever the opportunity arises. She'll also need to be proactive and keep the points short, as allowing her opponent to settle into a rhythm won't benefit her at all.
Tomljanovic has had consistent results this year, so despite the head-to-head being lopsided, she has a great chance of winning. But Stephens has bounced back from plenty of disappointing losses this year. While the American is in a slump at the moment, she can be expected to get back to winning ways against a player she has bested so often.
Pick: Sloane Stephens to win in three sets.
