US Open 2021 news – Former winner Sloane Stephens battles past compatriot Madison Keys to reach second round

Sloane Stephens battled past compatriot Madison Keys 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(7) to reach the second round of the US Open on Monday.

Keys looked a bit rusty in the opening set, losing her serve in her second service game as 2017 champion Stephens took the lead.

But Keys, a former finalist herself in 2017, stormed back in impressive fashion, breaking Stephens in the first game of the set and never looking back, taking the set 6-1 in the end.

And in a tense final game, that saw the two local heroes serve out to 5-5 until Stephens broke. But Keys wasn’t finished and forced the tiebreak.

The pair exchanged serves and eventually it was Stephens who came through 9-7 and progressed where she’ll face the winner of Coco Gauff and Magda Linette.