Sloane closer to title
Favourite Stephens will face World No. 5 Ostapenko in final
Miami, March 30: Sloane Stephens is determined to write her name into the history books after she sealed a place in the WTA Miami Open final with a three-set win over former world number one Victoria Azarenka here Thursday.
It was an impressive display by the reigning US Open champion who booked her ticket for Saturday’s showpiece with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 triumph, just 18 days after beating the Belarusian in straight sets at Indian Wells.
And in the final she will meet world number five Jelena Ostapenko after the French Open champion saw off plucky American qualifier Danielle Collins 7-6 (7/1), 6-3.
Stephens was raised in Plantation, around an hour north of Key Biscayne and is expecting her friends and family to turn up in “full force.”
Saturday’s encounter will be the last women’s final before the move away from Crandon Park to the Hard Rock Stadium next year.
Stephens has won every one of the five finals she’s contested in her career and making it six in a row — and the last in Key Biscayne — would make winning here for the first time even more special.
“This feels like a home final for me,” she said. “We used to come down here all the time and play when I was younger. It’s always amazing for my friends and family when I play here. They are in full force.”
Ostapenko, meanwhile, was delighted to reach her first WTA premier mandatory final.
The unheralded Collins, 24, who stunned Venus Williams in the quarterfinals, once again showed her talent and poise for the big occasion as she gave the Latvian a serious test.
A break for 6-5 in the first set gave her the opportunity to serve it out but it wasn’t taken allowing Ostapenko to force a tie-break which she dominated 7-1. — AFP