Sloane Stephens stunned by Varvara Gracheva in quarterfinals of ATX Open

After displaying some of the form that saw her capture her maiden Grand Slam title a few years ago, Sloane Stephens was unable to keep her momentum going as she fell to Varvara Gracheva at the quarterfinal stage of the ATX Open Austin on Friday night.

Gracheva was solid in her 7-6(4) 6-3 victory, showcasing her defensive prowess as she frustrated the fifth seed throughout the match. After exchanging a pair of breaks to start the first set, neither competitor budged and a tiebreak ensued. It was here that Gracheva's consistency and underrated defense came into play, and the Russian was able to escape with the first set.

Stephens was unable to conjure up a response in the second, with Gracheva obtaining another break behind some solid defensive play. Although the American fought back to salvage a break, it was to no avail as Gracheva applied more pressure. This led to the World No.88 capitalizing on two more break point opportunities, which was enough to see her prevail after an hour and 51 minutes.

Gracheva is through to her first WTA semifinal of the season, where she will face American Katie Volynets.