Tennis-Burel bageled but fights back to beat former champion Stephens

By Amy Tennery

NEW YORK (Reuters) - France's Clara Burel fought back from being bageled in the first set to defeat 2017 champion Sloane Stephens 0-6 7-5 7-5 in the first round of the U.S. Open on Monday, kicking off the opening night session on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Burel looked rattled in the glare of the New York spotlight but after settling down and eliminating some clumsy mistakes early on she outfoxed her more experienced opponent to advance to a second-round match against Victoria Azrenka.

"I was a little bit nervous at the beginning and Sloane was playing really well," said Burel. "I just kept fighting and I found a way."

Stephens was ruthless out of the gate, relying on her forehand and making few mistakes, and Burel could only shake her head in disbelief when the American closed out the opening set after just 21 minutes.

It looked as though it would be an easy win for Stephens as she built a 0-3 lead in the second but when her form began to unravel Burel pounced, clawing her way back as she sent shots to the American's vulnerable backhand.

The Frenchwoman broke her opponent to love to close out the second set, prompting Stephens to briefly leave the court before the start of the third.

The pair traded breaks three times in a tense and nervy third set that saw Burel toss her racquet to the ground in frustration after failing to subdue her opponent in a 19-shot rally in the sixth game.

She maintained her composure in the end, however, targeting Stephens' backhand again to break her from the baseline and close out the match.

Burel told reporters she took her comeback approach one step at a time.

"I was just trying to win one game - just one game and then I will start playing better. And then it's two games and then the match changed a little bit," she said.

(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Peter Rutherford)