French Open 2013: Bethanie Mattek-Sands' Upset Highlights Surge by U.S. Women

After dropping the first set against heavily favored No. 6 seed Li Na, unseeded American upstart Bethanie Mattek-Sands stormed to victory, pulling off a massive upset in Round 2 of the French Open by a score of 5-7, 6-3, 6-2.

As Courtney Nguyen of Sports Illustrated reports, it has been a bounce-back 2013 campaign for Mattek-Sands, who is typically better known for her quirky sense of fashion than her play on the court.

After ranking 173rd on the WTA Tour at the end of last year, the 28-year-old Minnesotan has risen to No. 68, headlining the strong push from American women at Roland Garros.

ESPN Stats & Info highlights just how formidable American women have been at the season's second Grand Slam tournament thus far:

Serena Williams is obviously going to receive the most attention as the No. 1 overall seed, but that doesn't diminish the scene-stealing act performed by Mattek-Sands on Thursday.

Na had never lost in the second round, but Mattek-Sands avenged her loss to Na in Stuttgart, Germany back in April in methodical style.

Jim Caple of ESPN pointed out how three rain delays stymied Mattek-Sands' momentum throughout the match, which took approximately six hours. It was fitting that she had to overcome that adversity, though, because adversity has driven Mattek-Sands to such a massive improvement this year.

In her 14 years as a professional, there have been a lot of ups and downs for Mattek-Sands, who has endured ailments such as a torn hip labrum and a broken foot. She endured an injury-ravaged 2012 campaign primarily due to a bad shoulder, finishing with a 17-16 singles record. According to Caple, she considered retiring.

This breakthrough win should be enough to keep Mattek-Sands going for the foreseeable future, and she was thankful for the support on Twitter afterward:

Mattek-Sands isn't the only American who is making waves in Paris. No. 17 seed Sloane Stephens breezed past compatriot Vania King 6-1, 6-3 to advance on Thursday as well.

Since her semifinals run at the 2013 Australian Open—which included a victory over Serena Williams—the 20-year-old has struggled to regain similar form. Stephens looks to be back at the top of her game, once again embracing the spotlight of one of tennis' biggest stages.

Varvara Lepchenko and Jamie Hampton also advanced. For Hampton, it marks the first time in her young career that she's reached Round 3 of a Grand Slam event.

It's still relatively early in the action, but if the first couple of rounds are any indication, it seems that an American could very well wind up with the trophy—even if Williams is somehow upset along the way.

Note: All statistics and prior tournament history, unless otherwise indicated, are courtesy of ESPN.