U.S. teen Sloane Stephens beats No. 22 Francesca Schiavone | U.S. Open tennis

U.S. teen Sloane Stephens beats No. 22 Francesca Schiavone | U.S. Open tennis

NEW YORK — Sloane Stephens raised her eyebrows and with a sly smile didn't hesitate in answering the question of whether this American teenager is tennis' next superstar.

"She is," Stephens said.

Bubbly and confident at the same time, the 19-year-old from Florida plays the part of the youngest woman ranked among the top 50 in the world.

Victories such as Tuesday's are becoming routine. Stephens defeated 22nd-seeded Francesca Schiavone of Italy 6-3, 6-4 in the first round of the U.S. Open — technically an upset since the unseeded American is ranked 44th in the world.

Then again, Stephens has advanced to at least the third round at three of her last four Grand Slam tournaments.

"I don't have a crystal ball to see the future, but I can say that she's an athlete who has every possibility to produce some great tennis," said Schiavone, 32, the 2010 French Open champion.

Stephens' grandparents attended.

"My grandma, she gets so nervous," Stephens said. "Poor thing, she has heart problems. I hope I don't go to a third set because she's going to be freaking out."

Wozniacki is eliminated

Slowed by a right-knee injury, eighth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark failed to make it out of the first round of her second straight Grand Slam tournament, falling 6-2, 6-2 to 96th-ranked Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania.

Earlier this summer at Wimbledon, Wozniacki — who is 22 — lost her first-round match to Tamira Paszek of Austria.

Notes

• Sisters Serena Williams and Venus Williams advanced in all-American first-round matches.

No. 4 Serena routed CoCo Vandeweghe 6-1, 6-1. Venus beat Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-3, 6-1.

• In the men's bracket, No. 20 Andy Roddick, the 2003 champion, beat fellow American Rhyne Williams 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

By The Associated Press