Stephens ends Williams’ run with gritty victory
Sloane Stephens was two points from defeat against Venus Williams in one US Open semifinal before pulling out the victory.
Madison Keys faced no such test, overwhelming CoCo Vandeweghe in the other semifinal.
Now Stephens and Keys, a pair of pals in their early 20s, will face each other in the first Grand Slam title match for each — and the first all-American women’s final at Flushing Meadows since 2002.
Stephens summoned some of her best strokes when she needed them the most, steeling herself when so close to defeat and taking the last three games of a back-andforth thriller, edging seven-time major champion Williams 6-1 0-6 7-5 in New York yesterday.
‘‘I have a lot of grit,’’ said the unseeded Stephens, who is ranked 83rd after having surgery on her left foot in January.
‘‘I don’t give up. Like, I’m not just going to give it to someone. I’m not just going to let them take it from me.’’
The 15th-seeded Keys, who dominated Vandeweghe 6-1 6-2 in barely more than an hour, had her own recent health issue to deal with: She missed the first two months of this year after an offseason procedure on her left wrist, then needed another procedure in June because of pain in that arm.
‘‘I think I played pretty well tonight,’’ Keys said in what amounted to quite an understatement.
At 37, Williams was attempting to become the oldest woman to win a Grand Slam title in the Open era. She was trying to reach her third major final of this season, something she last did 15 years ago.
‘‘I’m honestly just honoured to be able to play at the same time as her, one of the greatest ever to play our game,’’ said Stephens, who joined spectators in clapping for Williams when she walked off the court.
Williams was ahead 5-4 with Stephens serving at 30-all. Two points away. ‘‘Venus knows it’s an opportunity lost,’’ said her coach, David Witt, ‘‘because she had it. She had it on her racket.’’
But with Williams two points away from winning, they engaged in a 25-stroke point, until Stephens conjured up a backhand passing winner down the line, then wheeled and pumped her fists. ‘‘That was good, huh?’’ Stephens said later.
At 5-all, Stephens broke with the help of a rainbow of a winner - ‘‘That lob-thingy,’’ she’d call it - that drew a standing ovation from the crowd, and a full-sprint get of a short ball that she turned into a ‘‘How did she do that?!’’ pointender at an impossible angle.
‘‘There was nothing I could do about those shots,’’ Williams said.
Soon enough, Stephens was serving out the biggest win of her career - and of her impressive comeback from surgery.