Comeback kid Sloane Stephens rallies for spot in Miami Open final

Sloane Stephens has a simple approach to her game these days. “Keep fighting,” she said. That was Stephens’ mantra when her US Open championship last year was followed by eight consecutive losses, a staggering, frustrating and almost inexplicable freefall.

And those words kept popping into her head Thursday, when she shook off a very slow start to beat Victoria Azarenka 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 in the semifinals at the Miami Open.

Stephens’ opponent in Saturday’s final will be sixth-seeded Jelena Ostapenko, who beat American qualifier Danielle Collins 7-6 (1), 6-3 in the other semifinal Thursday.

Stephens dropped the first three games against Azarenka, needing only 11 minutes to get into trouble. She then won 15 of the final 21 games.

It was only the fourth tournament for Azarenka since 2016. She became a mother late that year — her son’s name, Leo, is scrawled on the sneakers she wears in matches — and returned to play Mallorca and Wimbledon last year.

Azarenka got a wild-card entry to play Indian Wells, another wild card into Miami, and was ousted by Stephens in both of those.

When she will play again is unclear. Azarenka has been involved in a custody dispute for several months and is headed back to Los Angeles, where she makes her home.

Azarenka entered this event ranked No. 186. She’ll be at least No. 93 when the new WTA rankings come out next week, after getting through four seeded players on her way to the Miami semifinals.

In a men’s quarterfinal, 16thseeded Pablo Carreno Busta wasted two match points on his serve in the second set before recovering - nearly two hours later - and ousting No. 6 Kevin Anderson 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (6) in a rematch of a U.S. Open semifinal from last year. It was the first win for Carreno Busta in five matches against Anderson.

Carreno Busta’s semifinal opponent will be No. 4 Alex Zverev, a 6-4, 6-4 winner over No. 29 Borna Coric.

Besides the trip to the final, there are a few significant other perks for Stephens, who spent some of her youth learning the game at Key Biscayne.