SLOANE OUT OF SLUMP AND INTO FINAL

SLOANE STEPHENS marked her triumph at last year’s US Open by going on an eight-match losing streak that lasted until this February. But now she is back in another Grand Slam final, the French Open, with the chance to inflict a fourth dose of heartbreak on Simona Halep. Three times the world No 1 has been runner-up at a major and now she meets a player who appears to turn up infrequently, but when she does can hit a lethal run of form. Once Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin del Potro had set up the second of today’s men’s semis, Halep began an impressive demolition of Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza, whom she defeated 6-1, 6-4. Stephens, whose boyfriend is the former Hull and Sunderland footballer Jozy Altidore, then inflicted another loss on compatriot Madison Keys, 6-4, 6-4. On clay Halep, twice a Roland Garros runner-up, ought to be favourite, but she is overdue a big title, while this is an unexpected second opportunity for the 25-year-old Floridian. Her turnaround came in March at the Miami Open which saw her suddenly arrest her bad run and take the title from nowhere. ‘Life came at me fast after the US Open and I was just kind of regrouping and getting myself together, which I did well, and I started playing better and better,’ said Stephens. ‘Then obviously I had a good result in Miami, I have just slowly kind of gained momentum.’ Del Potro fought his way through to his first Roland Garros semi-final in nine years, beating Marin Cilic 7-6, 5-7, 6-3, 7-5. Nadal resumed his raininterrupted quarter-final a set down but 5-3 up against Diego Schwartzman. Conditions were livelier, which suited him, and Nadal won 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.