Sloane Stephens advances to second round of WTA 250 Memphis tournament

American former world No.5 Sloane Stephens won a three‑set marathon (6‑4, 5‑7, 6‑2) over eighth‑seeded Ukrainian Julija Starodubceva in the first round of the WTA 250 event in Memphis. The match lasted just over three hours, and Stephens moved on to face Czech qualifier Darja Vidmanova in the second round.

Sixteen‑year‑old Russian Kristina Liutova upset world No.19 Ekaterina Alexandrova after the latter retired due to heat‑related illness in a 7‑6, 4‑6, 5‑4 match that also stretched beyond three hours. Liutova became the second teenager born in 2010 to record a WTA main‑draw win, highlighting the tournament's surprising results.