U.S. Open champ Stephens ousts Canada’s Abanda at women’s Rogers Cup
MONTREAL — Francoise Abanda considers U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens a role model and may have shown a little too much respect when they met on centre court at the women’s Rogers Cup.
The third-seeded Stephens had little trouble dispatching the last Canadian left in the singles draw with a 6-0, 6-2 victory on Wednesday.
Abanda said she played too defensively against Sloane, who jumped on that to move the 21-year-old around the court and set up winners.
“I didn’t think I had the right strategy, but Sloane is a player who can attack really well and defend really well,” said Abanda. “I would next time try to impose my game more, try to be more aggressive.