US teen Stephens shocks Goerges at San Diego Open

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SAN DIEGO, California: US teenager Sloane Stephens shocked seventh-seeded German Julia Goerges 6-3, 7-5 on Wednesday at the WTA San Diego Open to earn her first career victory over a Top 20 player.

Stephens, ranked 131st, ambushed the 20th-ranked Goerges, who won the Stuttgart title on clay and beat number one Caroline Wozniacki twice in the first half of the season.

Stephens was 0-3 against Top 20 players before beating Goerges.

Russian Vera Dushevina ousted another seed at La Costa, defeating number 16 Slovenian Polona Hercog 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the second round.

Austrian Tamira Paszek did the same but without firing a shot as number 11 Russian Maria Kirilenko withdrew before their second-round match due to a left hip injury.

Pasek and Stephens now face off in a battle of young guns for a quarter-final spot.

France's Virginie Razzano, a quarter-finalist last week in Maryland, continued her good hardcourt form by taking out New Zealand's Marina Erakovic 6-1, 6-3.

Stephens, 18, won back-to-back matches for the first time in her career at the WTA level after beating China's Zhang Shuai in the first round.

Goerges was one of a trio of fast-rising Germans making their San Diego debuts.

Second seed Andrea Petkovic is already into the third round after a bye and victory.

Germany's Wimbledon semi-finalist Sabine Lisicki, seeded 12th, overwhelmed 40-year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm of Japan 6-1, 6-2.

Lisicki will next face local favorite Coco Vandeweghe, who beat lucky loser Olga Savchuk of Ukraine 6-7 (7/9), 6-4, 6-3.