Stephens primed to shine in Zhuhai

ZHUHAI, Guangdong province - Sloane Stephens on Monday insisted she isn't feeling any pressure despite failing to win a match since her victory at the US Open.

And the American is anxious to prove it at the season-ending WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai, which opened on Tuesday and runs through Nov 5.

Stephens, 24, was a first-round loser at the Wuhan Open and the China Open in Beijing before pulling out of the Hong Kong Open.

"Throw it (the pressure) on somebody else," Stephens said in Zhuhai.

"Give it to Madison, give it to CoCo ... it's not on me," she said, referring to fellow Americans Madison Keys and CoCo Vandeweghe, who is also competing in Zhuhai.

Stephens soared back into the top 20 after her surprise triumph in September, when she defeated close friend Keys in the US Open final.

She had previously dropped to 957th after a long injury absence.

World No 13 Stephens said she had no regrets this year and blamed her recent losses on having less time to practice since winning in New York.

She said she pulled out of Hong Kong because she simply wasn't ready.

"When you play tennis you actually have to practice for it and after you win a Grand Slam that doesn't really happen for a little bit of time because there's a lot of things to do," she said.

"And yeah, definitely, you don't go to play in a tournament if you're not ready to do that."

Angelique Kerber, who has dropped from world No 1 in January to No 19, also said she had learned much from her time in the spotlight.

The German, who clinched both the Australian and US Open titles last year, said she was looking forward to competing in Zhuhai - and to a fresh start in 2018.

"There are a few things that I learned this year," Kerber said.

"If you start the year as No 1, it's completely different because everybody wants to beat you. But it was a good experience to have."

The 29-year-old said she will focus on her fitness and remaining injury-free in the new season, while also planning her schedule differently to allow for more time off.

Asked if she could win another Grand Slam, Kerber confidently replied: "For sure. That is my goal. I know that I can do it and I know how to do it."

Agence France - Presse

(China Daily 11/01/2017 page23)