Panna Udvardy (Credits: Flickr)
Panna Udvardy lost against Sloane Stephens in the first round of the Miami Open 4-6, 3-6
Panna Udvardy is a Hungarian tennis player who is currently ranked 82 in the WTA rankings. Udvardy was the first-round opponent of Sloane Stephens in the Miami Open. Stephens won the encounter quite comfortably in straight sets. The 2018 champion, Stephens was clearly the favourite going into the match and she lived up to the expectations. However, she did face a strong challenge in the form of Udvardy.
Speaking after the match, Stephens lauded her opponent’s performance. “She is a great competitor obviously. It was a tough match but I was happy to fight through and stick to my game plan and be able to execute”, said Stephens.
It was a special return to the Miami Open for Stephens. She had won the event back in 2018 and would be looking to replicate the feat. “It’s always a special tournament for me. I’ve always played well here. I love playing here, coming back here. So it’s nice to get a win in front of friends and family and hopefully, I’ll get some more soon”, the American said.
Born in Kaposvar, Hungary, Udvardy resides and trains in Spain. The 23-year old made her professional WTA debut in 2017 at the Hungarian Ladies Open and her Grand Slam debut came this very year at the Australian Open. Udvardy has made quick progress in the rankings in her brief career so far. A year ago, she was way outside the top 100 but after her appearance at the Miami Open, she has now broken into the top 100 of women’s tennis and is presently ranked 82nd in the world.
The Hungarian has an impressive career win percentage of 60.6% to go along with her 9 ITF titles. Panna Udvardy has earned total prize money of US$ 281,639 in her career to date.
Meanwhile, Sloane Stephens is set to face 16th seed Jessica Pegula in the next round of the Miami Masters. Pegula is definitely the favourite going into the clash but Stephens and Pegula know each other’s game very well having trained together on a number of occasions! It will certainly be an encounter to watch out for!
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