Fifth-seed Stosur wins WTA opener

CARLSBAD, California: Australian fifth seed Samantha Stosur, coming off a shock first-round loss last week, defeated American Varvara Lepchenko 7-5, 6-1 on Monday at the WTA Southern California Open.
Stosur, the 2011 US Open champion, fell behind 3-1 in the opening set before rallying to capture it in 57 minutes and cruise from there to victory in her opener at the $795,000 hardcourt event.
“I got off to a little bit of a slow start, losing my first two service games. That isn’t how you want to start matches,” Stosur said.
“But if you start poorly then end well, that’s all that matters. I got through that little rough patch at the start and then found my groove a little bit more.” Stosur had been planning to take this week off and return to her Florida training camp ahead of tournaments the next two weeks in Toronto and Cincinnati. But her crash out at Stanford last week forced a change in plan.
“After not doing as well as I wanted last week, I thought coming here would be a pretty good opportunity to play those matches and try and build on something a little bit. “No matter how bad or good you play, if you win you always feel better. Last week was pretty disappointing. To come here and win today in a nicer feeling.”
In other opening matches, two-time Grand Slam singles champion Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia was ousted by France’s Virginie Razzano 6-2, 6-4 and 2010 French Open winner Francesca Schiavone beat fellow Italian Flavia Pennetta 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (6/8), 6-4.

Stephens stumbles in Washington opener
In Washington, Sloane Stephens, coming off a quarterfinal run at Wimbledon, crashed out Monday in the first round of the WTA and ATP Washington Open.
The 20-year-old American, ranked 15th in the world and seeded second on the women’s side of the $1.76 million hardcourt event, was ousted 7-5, 6-3 by Russia’s Olga Puchkova.
“There were some (shots) I really couldn’t believe went that far out,” Stephens said. “The ball was flying everywhere.
“I just couldn’t find it. When you don’t practice well it shows. I had a couple rough days, and it showed.”
Stephens is already trying to tamp down US Open expectations after beating current world number one Serena Williams on her way to the Australian Open semi-finals, where she lost to then-number one Victoria Azarenka.
“If I lose in the first round, don’t be upset,” she said. “It’s going to be my first time there playing under so much pressure and everyone expecting me to do so well.
“Whatever people say or however they think I should do, they don’t practice with me. I just have to go out and do the best I can.”
Stephens, who took a post-Wimbledon family vacation to Hawaii, also reached the fourth round at the French Open and the last eight at Wimbledon, losing to eventual winner Marion Bartoli.
“I don’t know why I play so well at the Slams and not so well at the rest,” Stephens said. “I can fix these things myself and get ready for next week.”
Mardy Fish, who has missed most of the past year with heart problems, won his first ATP match since March, rallying to outlast Australian qualifier Matthew Ebden 2-6, 6-1, 6-3.
“I still feel a little uneasy and that’s to be expected. It’s not all going to be roses right away,” Fish said. “These will be the sort of situations I have to get through to be 100 percent. These sort of post-traumatic experiences are what I have to get over.
“A lot of it is mental. A little bit is physical.”
Fish faces French 12th seed Julien Benneteau in the second round.
Aussie qualifier Samuel Groth blasted 20 aces to beat American Denis Kudla 7-6 (7/2), 6-2 to book a second-round match against big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic while Aussie Marinko Matosevic ousted another struggling US veteran, James Blake, by 6-2, 7-6 (8/6).
“The first set, I really served poorly, and he took advantage,” Blake said. “The second set, I fought back and had a chance. I didn’t make my shots when I needed to.”
On the women’s side, defending champion Magdalena Rybarikova rallied to beat American Christina McHale 2-6, 6-4, 6-2. The Slovakian seventh seed will face compatriot Jana Cepelova in the second round with a possible third-round date against German top seed Angelique Kerber.
“Everyone is looking to beat you, and the pressure is also there,” Kerber said. “I just have to try to improve my tennis, and I want to play well this week.”