Playing with the American crowd behind her, Stephens certainly gave her home fans something to cheer about as she tore back from a set down to dispatch the defending champion and former world No 4 Garcia.

With the match lasting two hours and 20 minutes, only four points separated the two women when all was said and done. Ultimately, Stephens’ ability to capitalise on Garcia’s second serve and her defense of have the break points she faced were what got the American across the line.

Stephens, ranked No 38, will play the winner of the match between No 10 seed Marketa Vondrousova and Russian Anastasia Potapova next. In the previous round of the Cincy Open, the American beat Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto (7-5, 6-2).

Cincinnati WTA 1000, other second-round results (Linder Tennis Family Center, hard, USD 2.788.468, most recent results first):

• Mayar Sherif vs. Coco Gauff
• Ann Li vs. Aryna Sabalenka
• Donna Vekic vs. Victoria Azarenka
• Elena Rybakina vs. Jelena Ostapenko
• Jasmine Paolini vs. Cristina Bucsa
• Qinwen Zheng vs. Venus Williams
• Petra Martic vs. Karolina Muchova
• Maria Sakkari vs. Sorana Cirstea
• Marketa Vondrousova vs. Anastasia Potapova
• Iga Swiatek vs. Danielle Collins
• Daria Kasatkina vs. Varvara Gracheva
• Martina Trevisan vs. Jessica Pegula
• Ons Jabeur (5) beat Anhelina Kalinina: 6-3, 6-7 (2), 7-6 (2)