Sloane Stephens to face fellow American Peyton Stearns in Guadalajara quarterfinal

Stephens in strong form

Former 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens has reached the quarterfinals of the WTA Guadalajara Open, where she will face fellow American Peyton Stearns. According to Last Word On Sports, this marks Stephens' second quarterfinal appearance at this tournament. In the previous round, she narrowly beat Janice Tjen in straight sets, having to save two set points along the way.

Stearns yet to drop a set

Peyton Stearns has not lost a set on her way to the quarterfinals, defeating both Emiliana Arango and Monterrey champion Diane Parry. Stearns is ranked higher than Stephens, which technically makes her the favorite for the matchup.

History and recent form favor Stephens

Stephens leads the head-to-head against Stearns 2-0. The outlet also notes that Stephens has been playing with notably improved confidence recently — three of her last four losses came against Top 20 opponents. Citing this form and the head-to-head record, Last Word On Sports predicts Stephens will win in three sets.

Other quarterfinal matchups

Several other notable matches are set for the Guadalajara quarterfinals. Defending champion Iva Jovic will face Magdalena Frech, whom she has already beaten once at the US Open. Sara Bejlek takes on Cristina Bucsa, while Marta Kostyuk — who has not yet played a single point this week — will meet Liudmila Samsonova, against whom she trails 0-4 in their head-to-head. Kostyuk received a first-round bye after her scheduled opponent, Taylor Townsend, withdrew from the tournament to undergo emergency surgery.