Mason, Ohio − Even in defeat, Mason native Peyton Stearns walked off the Porsche Court at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, towel draped around her head, waving to the applauding hometown fans and taking a selfie with a fan while flashing the University of Texas’ ‘Hook ’em Horns’ sign.
Stearns, 21, who grew up just a few miles from the Western & Southern Open and attended the event as a kid, is still searching for her first main draw victory of her hometown tournament after falling to No. 14 Daria Kasatkina in the first round Tuesday, 6-2, 6-1.
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“She (Kasatkina) is gonna put a lot of balls in and try to force errors out of me and she did just that today,” Stearns said. “I think I had some chances. I started out slow − a little nervous.”
Stearns fell in the first round of qualifying in her Western & Southern Open debut in 2021, then reached the second round of qualifying last summer shortly after turning pro. She was awarded a main draw wild card this year and Tuesday was her first appearance in the Round of 64.
Kasatkina, the top-ranked Russian singles player, jumped out to a fast start, building up 4-0 leads in each of the first two sets. Stearns battled back to within 4-2 in the opening set, but Kasatkina survived a game point and took a commanding 5-2 advantage when Stearns’ return sailed long.
“I settled down a little bit and had to stay in the rally with her,” Stearns said of fighting back in the first set. “Part of me was playing the same way until you find the right ball, then go for it. Until then, keep her back and push her around the court and I think I did a really good job of that.”
A powerful ace in the second set jumpstarted Stearns to a victory in the fourth game, but Kasatkina was consistent in her returns and made very few mistakes on her way to a 6-1 set victory and her first Round of 64 victory in the Western & Southern Open since 2019.
“I get those chances in the second set and who knows where that goes,” Stearns said. “She (Kasatkina) played well and deserved it.”
Tuesday was a rematch of the third round of the French Open in June, which Kasatkina won, 6-0, 6-1.
Stearns, ranked No. 55, will next appear in singles at the U.S. Open in New York later this month. Before returning home, she fell in the first round of the Canadian Open in Montreal, reached the Round of 16 at the Citi Open and lost her Wimbledon debut to eventual champion Marketa Vondrousova.
“I have a lot to work on (before the U.S. Open),” Stearns said. “I think my practices, the regimen needs to be focused on a couple of other things and what’s been going on behind the scenes. I think that’s been playing a big part. A lot of practice matches, getting a lot of points in and maybe getting more confidence would help a lot.”
Stearns will play in doubles tournament Tuesday night
Despite the first-round loss, the tournament is not over for Stearns, who will team up with fellow American Emma Navarro tonight in the first round of the doubles draw. They will face the tandem of Victoria Azarenka-Beatriz Haddad Maia in the Tuesday night session.
Stearns-Navarro lost in the Round of 32 at the 2021 Western & Southern Open.
“I enjoy doubles a lot. I don’t think there’s a lot of pressure on that, for me. It’s kind of like college tennis; you’re out there with a team, having fun,” Stearns said. “Coming from the singles match to the doubles match, I can take some things I need to maybe work on and implement them into the doubles match.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: W&S Open: Mason native Peyton Stearns falls to No. 14 Kasatkina
