AUSTIN (KXAN) — Former Texas Longhorns tennis star Peyton Stearns is off to a good start at the U.S. Open.
Stearns topped Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko 6-1, 7-5 in a first-round match Monday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, using a powerful serve to get the job done.
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Stearns smacked eight service aces and won 71% of points on her first serve. Stearns had 26 winners to Tsurenko’s five, helping her overcome 39 unforced errors.
Ranked No. 47 in the Women’s Tennis Association rankings, Stearns made a run to the fourth round of the U.S. Open last year. She’ll take on 12th-seeded Daria Kasatkina in the second round Wednesday. Stearns was the 2022 ITA National Player of the Year with the Longhorns in her sophomore year. She opted to turn professional after two years in Austin.
Longhorns incoming freshman Maya Joint won her opening-round match against Germany’s Laura Siegemund 6-4, 7-5. She’ll face 14th-seeded Madison Keys in the second round Wednesday.
On the men’s side, former Longhorn Eliot Spizzirri won his spot in the tournament via the qualifiers and will kick off his run at 11:15 a.m. Tuesday against fellow American Alex Michelsen.