MASON − The Cincinnati Open now has a pair of WTA locals advancing in the main draw at Mason.
Peyton Stearns, the WTA No. 53, will join Madeira’s Caty McNally in the Round of 64 after a hard-fought straight-set win over qualifier Harriet Dart, 6-1, 7-6 (6).
Stearns has now won a main draw match in her hometown tournament in back-to-back years.
Last summer, she defeated Yafan Wang in the Round of 128 before a second-round loss to Anna Kalinskaya.
“It’s awesome. Last year, I had the first main draw win and now this year backing it up again,” Stearns said. “Hopefully getting a second-round win.”
On Friday, Aug. 14, Stearns was in cruise control after a dominant first set. She then opened up a 5-3 lead in the second set and was serving for the win before being broken.
The match advanced to a second-set tiebreaker, where Stearns staved off a pair of set points and rattled off four consecutive points to move on.
“I think it showed my mental fortitude a little bit,” Stearns said of a shaky second set before rallying. “Definitely got nervous and tight at 5-4 to close it out. Found a way in that tiebreaker to bounce back and not let it go to a third (set).”
Stearns had nine aces for the match and took advantage of six double faults by Dart. Stearns also prevailed on 4 of 6 break points.
“It (serving) is something I’ve been working on, so it’s nice to see it pay off, especially in big moments when you don’t want a rally and just want to finish the point really quick and it worked,” Stearns said.
She advances to play WTA No. 42 Clara Tauson in the Round of 64 this weekend. It will be the third all-time meeting between the two. Tauson won the last meeting at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships this season, 6-2, 6-4. Stearns won the inaugural matchup during the 2023 US Open Round of 64 in straight sets, 6-3, 6-0.
“She’s a good player,” Stearns said of Tauson. “These courts are quick, so her ball is going to come fast. I need to be ready to be quick and move a little bit.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Two WTA locals moving on in Cincinnati Open as Peyton Stearns advances
Reporting by Shelby Dermer, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
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By Shelby Dermer, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
