Stephens' loss ends American singles chances at French Open
Hardly a good day to be an American in Paris.
The last of the 22 U.S. men and women who were in the French Open singles draws, 15th-seeded Sloane Stephens, lost 6-4, 6-3 Monday to No. 4 Simona Halep of Romania in the fourth round. That came a day after the last American man in singles, No. 10 John Isner, exited before the quarterfinals, too.
There was more Monday, though.
The No. 1-seeded men's doubles team, defending champions Bob and Mike Bryan, lost in the quarterfinals, beaten 6-4, 6-2 by the 12th-seeded duo of Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez of Spain. That left no Americans in men's or women's doubles, either.
And the No. 1-seeded boy in the junior tournament, 16-year-old Francis Tiafoe of College Park, Maryland, lost in the second round to Jan Choinski of Germany 3-6, 6-2, 6-3.
Stephens has been to the second week at six consecutive Grand Slam tournaments, the longest active streak by a woman. But she has lost in the fourth round of the French Open each of the past three years.
Her match Monday was tied at 4-all in the first set when Halep took control by winning the next four games.
"It's always tough playing someone who is really consistent and has a lot of confidence and just plays a solid game," said Stephens, who is based in Florida.
"I didn't execute my game as well as I thought I could," Stephens said. "That's a little bit disappointing, but obviously that happens."
Stephens was broken in six of the nine games she served and made 35 unforced errors, 10 more than first-time French Open quarterfinalist Halep.
"I dominated the match, I think," Halep said. "I didn't serve very well, but I tried to return better -- and I did."
The Bryan twins have now failed to reach the final at any of the last three Grand Slam tournaments -- after winning four major titles in a row before that, starting at the 2012 U.S. Open.
Their bid for the first calendar-year Grand Slam in men's doubles since 1951 ended with a semifinal loss at last year's U.S. Open. The Bryans then lost in the third round at the Australian Open in January.
The brothers own a record 15 major doubles championships, including at Roland Garros in 2003 and 2013.
"Obviously, we're disappointed," Mike said. "We thought we could have played a little better."
