Sloane clinches last title
HALF an hour after Sloane Stephens won her hometown tournament, she lingered on the confetti-covered court, posing for photos and signing autographs as if reluctant to leave Key Biscayne.
The Miami Open is moving, and Stephens became the final women’s champion on the picturesque island by beating Jelena Ostapenko 7-6 (7-5) 6-1.
Stephens was born in South Florida, played on Key Biscayne as a junior and lives in nearby Fort Lauderdale.
That made the reigning US Open champion especially eager to win the Miami Open before it moves 18 miles north next year to suburbia and the NFL Dolphins’ stadium.
“This place is pretty special to me,” Stephens said.
“I’m definitely happy I could be the last person to win here. I’ve had some amazing experiences here, and I’ll definitely miss it.”
The No. 13-seeded Stephens won with defence, repeatedly extending rallies until Ostapenko would make a mistake. Ostapenko had a 25-6 advantage in winners but committed 48 unforced errors to 21 by Stephens.
“She was moving well,” Ostapenko said.
“Sometimes I was going for really an aggressive winner when I didn’t have to. I was sometimes missing shots I was normally making this week.”
Stephens was the surprise champion at the US. Open last September, and then lost her next eight matches, including the first two of 2018. But she shook her slump on Key Biscayne, improved to 6-0 in finals and will break into the top 10 next week at No.9.
Stephens and the No.6seeded Ostapenko battled almost exclusively from the baseline. The finalists traded breaks for four games, and Stephens was broken twice more when serving for the first set.
She wobbled again leading 6-2 in the pivotal tie-breaker, committing unforced errors to squander consecutive set points.
But Ostapenko dumped an easy backhand into the net to lose the set, and the Latvian appeared to tire after that.
Stephens swept the final six games, clinching one with the shot of the match.
Ostapenko chased down a drop shot and punched it back, but Stephens stretched near the baseline to hit a forehand winner. And on championship point moments later, Ostapenko sent a forehand wide.