Stephens shakes off setback with her best strokes
I have no words to describe what I’m feeling, what it took to get here, just the journey I’ve been on. Sloane Stephens
Two points from defeat against Venus Williams at the US Open, Sloane Stephens summoned her best strokes when she needed them the most to reach a Grand Slam final for the first time. The 24- year- old took the last three games of a back- and- forth semifinal at Flushing Meadows, edging seven- time major champion Williams 6- 1, 0- 6, 7- 5 yesterday. “It required a lot of fight, a lot of grit,” said Stephens, who is ranked 83rd after having surgery on her left foot in January and i s the fourth unseeded finalist at the tournament in the Open era.
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.
Williams’ first title match in New York came in her US Open debut in 1997. Stephens was four at the time.
“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.
In tomorrow’s final ( NZT), Stephens will face 15th seed Madison Keys who steamrolled an out- of- sorts CoCo Vandeweghe 6- 1, 6- 2 in just 66 minutes.
The all- American decider is the first since Serena Williams beat sister Venus in 2002.
Keys had no problem with the No 20 seed Vandeweghe or with an upper right leg injury that caused her to call the trainer to be taped midway through the second set.
The 22- year- old hit 25 winners and just nine unforced errors in a nearfaultless display.
“I think I played pretty well tonight,” Keys said, in what amounts to quite an understatement.
After a rough start, Williams fought back brilliantly and was close to beating Stephens before her younger opponent regained the initiative with a string of incredible winners late in the match.
“I just wasn’t playing well,” Williams said of the first set.
“Those are moments where you have to dig deep and figure out how to get the ball on the court and have a big game.”
Stephens served out the biggest win of her career and of her impressive injury comeback.
She returned to the tour at Wimbledon in July, losing in the first round, and her next match. Her ranking dropped out of the top 900. But since then, Stephens has won 14 of 16 matches.
“I have no words to describe what I’m feeling, what it took to get here, just the journey I’ve been on, I have no words,” Stephens said.
“When I started my comeback if somebody told me I was going to make t wo semis and a grand slam final, I would probably have passed out, which is what I feel like right now.
“I don’t know how I got here, just hard work, that’s it.”