Olivia Gadecki has scored an impressive victory in the opening round of a WTA 500 tournament in Guadalajara.
The 22-year-old Australian triumphed 6-4 6-3 against American Sloane Stephens, a former world No.3 and the US Open 2017 champion.
Gadecki, who earned a spot in the draw as a qualifier, served six aces and broke Stephens' serve five times in the 85-minute encounter.
This is Gadecki's fifth career WTA main-draw win and her first since the Brisbane International in January.
It is her third career top-100 victory and her first in a completed match since stunning world No.4 Sofia Kenin as an unranked wildcard at a WTA tournament in Melbourne in February 2021.
This propels world No.152 Gadecki into a second-round showdown with the tournament's second seed, world No.11 Danielle Collins.
Australian Kimberly Birrell, who also qualified at Guadalajara, plays her first-round match against Japan's Ena Shibahara tomorrow.
Aussies in action - Guadalajara
RESULTS
Women's singles, first round
[Q] Olivia Gadecki (AUS) d Sloane Stephens (USA) 6-4 6-3
COMING UP
Women's singles, first round
[Q] Kimberly Birrell (AUS) v [Q] Ena Shibahara (JPN)
Women's singles, second round
[Q] Olivia Gadecki (AUS) v [2] Danielle Collins (USA)
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