Sevastova subdues Stephens at WTE Elite Trophy

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No.5 seed Anastasija Sevastova kicked off her debut at the Hengqin Life WTA Elite Trophy on Wednesday with a comprehensive win over reigning US Open champion Sloane Stephens, 7-5 and 6-3.

In the first round-robin match in the Camellia Group, the Latvian now sits with a 1-0 record, after avenging her US Open quarterfinal loss to Stephens.

The American squeaked past Sevastova in a final-set tiebreak en route to her maiden Grand Slam title, but Sevastova has now evened their head-to-head at one win apiece.

"It was also a tough match today," Sevastova told the media, when she was asked about her matches against Stephens this year.

"I was fighting until the end. I think I closed the match pretty well. For sure, the most important thing was the first set, it was up and down," she said.

US Open champion suffers opening loss. /VCG Photo

Sevastova ended the match with 23 winners, including 3 aces, and won over 71 percent of the points on her first serve.

Stephens was not nearly as effective on her first serve, losing slightly more than half of those points. The American also had 28 unforced errors, outpacing her 19 winners.

Stephens has now suffered her third consecutive loss, and, in fact, has not won a set since her run in New York ended in triumph two months ago.

She must beat the other Camellia Group combatant, Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic, if she is to have any hope to claim another title this year.