Defending champion Sloane Stephens crashes out to Anastasija Sevastova as intense heat continues

Updated 05/09/2018 at 12:42 GMT

Defending US Open champion Sloane Stephens crashed out at the quarter-final stage on Tuesday as she was beaten 6-2 6-3 by Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova.

Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia celebrates

Image credit: Getty Images

Stephens, a surprise winner last year, had looked in fine form at Flushing Meadows as a number of her fellow top seeds were knocked out.

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However the intense heat that has plagued this year's tournament continued on Arthur Ashe on Tuesday and Stephens suffered.

The 25-year-old looked off-colour and although the junior play on other courts was suspended Stephens and Sevastova carried on.

Sloane Stephens of The United States reacts during the women's singles quarter-final match against Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia on Day Nine of the 2018 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 4, 2018 in the Flushing neig

Image credit: Getty Images

The Latvian broke in the fourth and then again in the eighth as she took the opener.

Stephens fought back in the second as she twice broke back having already been broken.

However Sevastova broke to make it 5-3 and then served out for the win.

Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia celebrates a point during the ladies singles quarter-final match against Sloane Stephens of The United States on Day Nine of the 2018 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 4, 2018 in the F

Image credit: Getty Images

"I think it was very physical today," Sevastova, who lost to Stephens during a U.S. Open tune-up in Montreal last month, said during her on-court interview. "It was tough to play."

Sevastova will now face Serena Williams in the last four.

Throughout the match Stephens complained about the heat and there were some questions as to whether or not the players should have stayed on.

As one journalist pointed out there was a clear advantage to playing on the shaded side of Arthur Ashe.

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