Wimbledon 2021: Sloane Stephens knocks out 10th seed Petra Kvitova in the first round

American tennis player Sloane Stephens made an energetic performance against two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, knocking the Czech from the 10th seed from the All England Club with a score of 6-3, 6-4 on Monday.

The 2017 US Open champion came into the match on Centre Court with a 2-1 head-to-head lead against Kvitova, who lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish in 2011 and 2014, but all their previous meetings had been on hard courts.

Former world number three Stephens, who has slipped down the rankings to 73rd, arrived in London without playing a lead-up event on grass but showed no signs of rust as she broke Kvitova’s serve twice to take the opening set.

In the second set the 28-year-old picked up the crucial break in the seventh game and converted her first match point with her 11th winner to set up a clash with either fellow American lucky loser Kristie Ahn or Britain’s Heather Watson.