The nuance of Sevastova’s attack—and yes, she won today with offense—revealed itself very early. Should you try to hit with Stephens, you’d best bring a gun. Lacking such weaponry, Sevastova opted instead to often loft deep and high groundstrokes, driving the ball only when she had the chance to step inside the court and drive a backhand crosscourt for a jarring placement. Amid the excessive heat, this loft and pound combo lulled Stephens into frequent errors.
Said Stephens, “Mentally, physically, I just wasn't connecting. It just was a really tough day. The heat doesn't make it any more fun.”
But self-contained groundstrokes were only part of Sevastova’s platter, a series of adroit tactics that surfaced quite early. In the first set, Stephens served at 1-2, 15-40 and carved a fine 92-m.p.h. delivery wide. Sevastova, addressing the ball as if it were a Thanksgiving turkey, carved it crosscourt, similar to a shot you’ll see at the local park on a Sunday afternoon. It landed two feet past the net. Stephens, usually one to dart in and crack a forehand, attempted a drop shot that didn’t clear the net. In the next game, despite holding three break points, Stephens was unable to break back. Once up 4-2, Sevastova won eight of the next nine points, including a love break of Stephens at 2-5 that was capped off by a sharp crosscourt forehand winner.
The pattern was clear. With both her soft-hard crosscourt groundstrokes and a bevy of backhand down-the-line drop shots, Sevastova was the dictator, a role often more associated with power than touch and variety.
Meanwhile, Stephens searched for answers, but was never quite able to escape the landmines Sevastova had planted for her in various uncomfortable nooks.
As was the case in the first set, the game with Stephens serving at 1-2 proved pivotal. Showing the brand of balanced, mobile and patient tennis that won her the title here last year, Stephens began impressively. On the 14th shot of the first point, Sevastova feathered a drop shot. Stephens ran it down and torched a crosscourt forehand winner, a laser intended to tell Sevastova that the champion had arrived.
But Sevastova would have none of it. Reading Stephens shots with keen accuracy, maintaining solid balance all match long, Sevastova absorbed one Stephens salvo after another.
As Billie Jean King likes to say, “the ball tells me what to do.”
So what if Stephens ripped a forehand winner at 1-2, 15-40? Nobody on this day was going to get through this match with untouchable shots (do they ever?). At 30-40, Sevastova directed three straight balls to Stephens’ backhand. With each successive backhand, Stephens’ technique grew less proficient. On the third, she barely waved at the ball, flinging it wide.
