Tennis: Stephens stunned, Serena cruises at Indian Wells

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. -- Swiss qualifier Stefanie Vogele stunned world number four Sloane Stephens 6-3 6-0 in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open on Friday while Serena Williams got the better of Victoria Azarenka to advance.

Vogele needed just over an hour to dispatch the fourth-seeded Stephens and push her overall record to 4-1 against the 2017 U.S. Open champion, who committed her 32nd unforced error on match point when she sent a forehand wide.

"Obviously playing someone who you haven't done that well against in the past is a little bit rough," Stephens told reporters after the match, which was played amid high winds on a sunny day in the Southern California desert.

"It was windy but it was windy for both of us. I just didn't play a great match today."

Under the lights on the stadium court, Williams smashed 39 winners to defeat Azarenka 7-5 6-3 in a rematch of the 2016 final, which the Belarusian won.

"I truly love her, she's a really good friend," 23-times Grand Slam champion Williams said.

"She's a fellow mom and a former number one, just like me.

"It's hard to play someone you're so close with but it's also really invigorating and cool."

William will play Garbine Muguruza in the third round after the 20th-seeded Spaniard crushed American Lauren Davis 6-1 6-3 earlier on Friday.

Unseeded American Jennifer Brady defeated 19th-seeded Caroline Garcia 6-3 3-6 6-0 to book her place in the third round.

The 23-year-old Brady thumped five aces en route to her third victory over the Frenchwoman this year, setting up a meeting with 12th-seeded Ash Barty, who defeated Tatjana Maria 6-4 6-4.

Czech Marketa Vondrousova eased past error-prone Russian Daria Kasatkina 6-2 6-1 to book her place in the third round.

With the loss, 14th seed Kasatkina, a finalist at Indian Wells last year, is projected to fall out of the top 20 when rankings are next updated.

Second seed Simona Halep, Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko, Britain's Johanna Konta, Belgian Elise Mertens and 18-year-old Bianca Andreescu all reached the third-round with straight sets victories on Friday.

(Reporting by Rory Carroll; Editing by Ken Ferris/Peter Rutherford)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Tennis: Sloane Stephens downs Angelique Kerber, storms into WTA semis

A confident Sloane Stephens stormed into a semi slot at the WTA Finals with a convincing straight-sets victory against top seed Angelique Kerber Friday, joining fellow debutant Kiki Bertens in the knockout stage.

The former US Open champion continued her unbeaten run in Singapore with a 6-3, 6-3 triumph in 101 minutes, her fifth straight-sets victory in a row over Kerber.

After topping Red Group, Stephens will play Czech Karolina Pliskova in the semifinals.

For the first time since 2003, none of the top four seeds advanced to the semifinals of the WTA Finals.

"I stayed solid the whole time knowing there was a lot on the line," Stephens said after the match.

"I knew it was going to be a battle and just tried to play as hard as I could."

The match started tensely, with Kerber unable to convert seven break points in Stephens' first three service games, and the missed opportunities proved costly.

An energetic Stephens made her pay by converting all three of her break points to draw first blood.

The American impressively counterattacked and pinpointed the lines to frustrate Kerber, who survived an injury scare when she landed awkwardly midway through the first set.

Kerber was immediately under pressure in the second set and saved seven break points in the fourth game before cracking under the pressure.

There was still fight left in the German, who broke straight back but continued to struggle on serve.

On her fifth break point, Stephens claimed the decisive break in the eighth game and then served it out to knockout the Wimbledon champion.


- Tearful withdrawal -


Bertens faces unbeaten Elina Svitolina after a hamstring injury forced Naomi Osaka's retirement earlier Friday.

She won the first set 6-3 in 47 minutes before US Open champion Osaka, who wiped away tears, forfeited the match.

It was a bitterly disappointing end for the 21-year-old, who came into Singapore as the form player but lost three-set matches to Stephens and Kerber.

"I hurt my left hamstring in the first match (against Stephens)," Osaka told reporters.

"It was just getting worse and worse every time I played. I couldn't even really practice that well today."

But it was enough for Bertens to seal a final four spot having defeated Kerber earlier in the round-robin phase.

Bertens only qualified for the WTA Finals just days before the tournament after world number one Simona Halep withdrew due to injury.

"It's never easy or never nice to win a match like this, but it is what it is," Bertens said.

"To be at the last four, last tournament of the year, it's unbelievable."

Osaka had started the match brightly, rolling through her service games before being broken in the eighth game.

With her upper leg heavily strapped, Osaka called a medical timeout after the eighth game and required treatment in the locker room.

She came back on court but dropped her serve to love, culminating in a double fault which turned out to be her last action at the WTA Finals.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Halep beats Stephens in Montreal in repeat of French Open win

World number one Simona Halep turned back American Sloane Stephens 7-6(6) 3-6 6-4 to win the Rogers Cup women's title in a rematch of their French Open finale in Montreal on Sunday.

Romanian Halep, who had beaten Stephens in Paris in June, claimed her second Montreal title in three years and third for the 2018 season.

She closed out the hard-fought match with her third ace of the day.

"It's an amazing feeling to be able to talk again at this ceremony as a winner," Halep said.

"I feel like I reached my best level of tennis, even if I had a long break before this tournament and I felt dead after the first day."

Halep fended off four set points to claim a back-and-forth first set in a tiebreak after storming to a 4-1 lead before U.S. Open champion Stephens fought back to level.

Halep broke the third-seeded Stephens with a crosscourt winner to take a 5-4 lead and serve for the set. But the American broke Halep with a forehand winner and held two set points on the Romanian's serve at 6-5. A crosscourt backhand saved one and Stephens netted a return on the second.

Numerous forehand errors by Halep gave Stephens a 4-0 lead in the tiebreak and the American went up 6-4 before Halep rallied, crushing a backhand down the line to earn her first set point, which she converted.

Stephens led throughout the second set, breaking Halep twice, but the Romanian took control of the third set, turning a break into a 5-2 advantage.

Stephens rallied to within 5-4 before Halep, on her fourth match point, slammed her third ace of the match and dropped to her knees in triumph.

"You make me play better and better every time we play," Halep said of Stephens.

The American returned the compliment.

"Even though I lost today, I literally left everything on the court," Stephens said.

"Obviously I'm sad I lost, but losing to the number one player isn't too bad.

"Every time I play her, she makes me a better player, she makes me raise my level."

(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina, editing by Pritha Sarkar)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

French Open: No pressure for Simona Halep ahead of title match vs Sloane Stephens

Top seed Simona Halep insisted that she "doesn't feel pressure" ahead of her third French Open final on Saturday, where she will face American Sloane Stephens.

The Romanian is still waiting for a maiden Grand Slam title after three previous final defeats, while 10th seed Stephens is the reigning US Open champion.

Halep has been in fine form so far at Roland Garros and eased past former winner Garbine Muguruza 6-1, 6-4 in the last four -- a victory which also ensured she will remain the world number one at the end of the tournament.

"I don't know who said that I feel pressure. Not me, obviously. I don't feel pressure," she said on Friday.

The 26-year-old has twice lost in the Roland Garros final.

She fought back from a set down against Maria Sharapova in 2014 only to lose a tight decider, before seeing a set and 3-0 lead disappear in a barrage of Jelena Ostapenko winners last year.

"I feel that it's a big challenge for me. It's a big chance to win my dream tournament," added Halep, who took time out from preparing for the final by watching Rafael Nadal's men's semi-final against Juan Martin del Potro on Friday.

"But this doesn't mean it's going to happen or something like that. I have just to play like I did yesterday (against Muguruza).

"So we will see what is going to happen tomorrow, but I just want to be smiling on court."

Halep's previous French Open final losses came against powerful ball-strikers in Sharapova and Ostapenko, but Stephens's game is more defensive and the Romanian leads 5-2 in their head-to-head record.

But Halep doesn't want to focus on that, even though it must give her added confidence.

"I don't want to think about that because, as I said many times, it's a different match, different situation. Both of us will be ready to give everything we have," she said.

"But I believe in my chance. I believe that I have the game to win the match."

Halep has won her last four matches against Stephens and both of their meetings on clay, including in the 2014 French Open fourth round, while the two have never played a three-set encounter.

But the American 10th seed has never lost a WTA final, with her triumph in the Miami Open in March her sixth win from six.

"I think I'm pretty calm on the court all the time, I'd say. I don't get too up, too down," said Stephens.

"I think that it has helped me in finals, but, yeah, it's not something I really focus on. I just try to stay calm and play my game."

Halep is bidding to become only the second Romanian woman to win a Grand Slam after 1978 French Open champion Virginia Ruzici, who is now Halep's manager and had a special ceremony on Court Philippe Chatrier earlier this week to commemorate her victory 40 years ago.

But Stephens has had a steely determination about her since fighting back from injury and a ranking of 957 less than a year ago, and will have nothing to lose.

"Yeah, just another good opportunity," she said. "Just going to take it in (my) stride and just enjoy it and go out and compete."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Stephens routs Keys for US Open title, first Slam crown

NEW YORK -- Sloane Stephens, sidelined for 11 months by a left foot injury until returning in July, captured her first Grand Slam title by routing fellow American Madison Keys 6-3, 6-0 in Saturday's US Open final.

Stephens took a $3.7 million (3.07 million euros) top prize from the biggest victory of her career, pitted against one of her closest friends in the first all-US final since 2002 on the New York hardcourts.

"I should just retire now," Stephens said. "I'll never be able to top this. Talk about a comeback. Things just have to come together and the past six weeks they really have."

With the 15th victory in her past 17 matches, Stephens became only the fifth unseeded player to win a women's Slam title, although Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko managed the feat at this year's French Open.

The only prior unseeded US Open women's champion was Kim Clijsters, who came back from retirement to take the 2009 title.

"It's incredible," Stephens said. "I had surgery January 23. If sone told me then I'd win the US Open, it's imposssible I'd say, absolutely impossible.

"This journey has been incredible and honestly I wouldn't change it for the world."

Stephens made only six unforced errors in the match to 30 for Keys, who had 18 winners to 10 for the champion.

It was the first final set of a US Open women's championship match where the loser didn't take a game since Chris Evert beat Evonne Goolagong 6-3, 6-0 in 1976.

"I didn't play my best tennis today and I'm disappointed in that but Sloane was very supportive and if there's someone I have to lose to today I'm glad it's her. Sloane is truly one of my favorite people.

"If you told me two months ago I'd be holding a US Open finalist's trophy I'd have been really happy and proud of myself."

Presented with the winner's check, Stephens said, 'That's a lot of money. Wow," but then handed the check envelope to best pal Keys, who she sat next to after the victory rather than on opposite sides of the umpire's chair, to take hold of the winner's trophy.

"Maddie is my best friend on tour," Stephens said. "I told her I wished there could have been a draw. I'm going to support her no matter what and she's going to support me no matter what.

"To stand here with her today is incredible -- that's what really friendship is."

Keys, seeded 15th, and 83rd-ranked Stephens each fought off injuries to reach the title showdown.

Stephens returned at Wimbledon and slid to 957th in world rankings before semi-final runs at US Open tuneups in Toronto and Cincinnati, while Keys underwent her second left wrist surgery after the French Open and won a tuneup title at Stanford.

Stephens will jump to 17th in Monday's world rankings while Keys, who took hom $1.825 million as runner-up, will rise to 12th.

In the firset set, Stephens broke to seize a 3-2 lead, Keys swatting a forehand beyond the baseline to surrender the game, and Stephens broke again when Keys send a backhand long to take the set after 30 minutes.

Keys made 17 unforced errors in the opening set to just two for Stephens, both in the last game.

In the second set, Stephens broke with a forehand crosscourt winner past on outstretched Keys to grab a 2-0 edge, then broke again on a double fault for a 4-0 lead, Keys swatting the ball with her left hand as it bounced back at her.

Keys forced triple break point in the fifth game but Stephens saved them all and held to 5-0.

The end came after 61 minutes on Stephens' third break and championship point when Keys netted a forehand.

Hands on hips, Stephens simply stood for a few seconds with a stunned expression, then smiled and made a tiny fist pump before going to the net to share a teary-eyed hug with Keys.

Neither Keys, 22, nor Stephens, 24, had ever reached a Slam final, only the seventh time in the Open Era (since 1967) two first-timers met for a women's Slam title.

But it was the second time in three years it happened at Arthur Ashe Stadium after Flavia Pennetta beat Roberta Vinci in 2015's all-Italian final.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Stephens beats Williams to reach U.S. Open final

A new grand slam champion will be crowned at the U.S. Open after Sloane Stephens beat fellow American Venus Williams 6-1 0-6 7-5 in a rollercoaster of a semi-final on Thursday.

Stephens, who returned to competition at Wimbledon after nearly a year off because of a foot injury, recovered from a second-set meltdown to end ninth seed Williams's hopes of reaching a third major final this year.

She will meet either CoCo Vandeweghe or Madison Keys, who face each other later on Thursday, in an all American final.

"I have no words to describe what I'm feeling what it took to get here. The journey I took. I have no words," said Stephens, who underwent foot surgery last February.

"If someone told me I'd make two semis and a grand slam final this year I would have passed out, which is what I feel like doing now.

"I don't know how I got here. Hard work, that's it."

The 24-year-old Stephens, 13 years younger than Williams, paid tribute to the seven-time grand slam champion.

"I'm honestly just honoured to play at the same time as her. One of the greatest to ever play our game. She's one of the greatest competitors and I'm honoured to share the court with her and glad to play at the same time as her.

"For American tennis there's no question marks. The proof is in the pudding. American tennis, here we are."

Despite her lack of match play this year, Stephens began confidently and broke for 3-1 when Williams netted a routine forehand and then went on to win the last three games of the set as the 37-year-old strangely appeared to struggle with serve.

Williams was in danger again on her first service game in the second set but she managed to hold and broke in the next game thanks to a Stephens double fault.

She then held to love to stamp her domination on the second set and moved 4-0 up with a lovely service return followed by a routine volley as Stephens showed she was clearly struggling and lost the set to love when she hit yet another unforced error.

The 24-year-old, however, got back on track in the decider, taking a 1-0 lead on Williams serve when she netted an easy volley.

She saved two break points in the following game but Williams levelled for 2-2 when Stephens's forehand sailed wide.

But at the end of a seven-minute game, Williams netted a routine volley again to give her opponent a break for 4-3.

Williams broke straight back with a service return winner and she saved a break point to hold for 5-4.

But as Williams struggled with her volley, Stephens broke for love in the 11th game and followed up on serve to close it out as Williams netted a backhand.

"It was definitely a contrast of play," Williams said of the roller-coaster match.

"You know, I continued to play aggressive and continued to play the kind of match that it takes to win. Just made too many errors there at the end."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Stephens wins to launch American semi-final charge

NEW YORK - Sloane Stephens took down 16th-seeded Latvian Anastasija Sevastova with a gritty 6-3 3-6 7-6(4) win on Tuesday to lead what could be an American parade into the U.S. Open semi-finals.

For the first time in 15 years four American women reached the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows with the 83rd-ranked Stephens hoping to be joined in the last four by Venus Williams, CoCo Vandeweghe and Madison Keys.

With her win over 16th seed Sevastova, Stephens becomes the first American woman apart from Venus or Serena Williams to make the U.S. Open last four since 2004.

"Man, I am hoping we can make it four, how awesome would that be," said Stephens. "This is pretty amazing. I hope there are four Americans in the semi-finals."

Ranked outside the top 950 just six weeks ago, Stephens was the most likely of the U.S. contenders to see her run end in the quarter-finals but the 24-year-old would not be denied.

Down 3-1 and a double break point in the third set, she dug deep and rode the support of a raucous Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd to get back on level terms and force a tiebreak,

She clinched victory on her first match point with a thundering a forehand winner down the line.

"I just told myself to keep fighting," said Stephens. "I just knew that if I just stuck with it and continued to play my game I was going to have an opportunity."

SIZZLING RUN

Sidelined for almost a year after foot surgery last summer, Stephens has been on a sizzling run since her return, playing four events and reaching the semis in Toronto and Cincinnati.

"A month ago before I started winning matches I was really worried," she said. "There were just so many things I was worried about but once I just realised I have it good, I play tennis and have fun every day it just relieved a lot of stress.

"I was finally able to play my game, play loose and 'BAM' here we are."

Making her first appearance on Arthur Ashe, Stephens got the match off to a jittery start when she was broken by the crafty Sevastova.

But the American quickly settled her nerves, breaking right back and then taking Sevastova's serve again at 3-1 as her opponent suddenly began to show signs of distress.

With Stephens ahead 5-2, the Latvian called for the trainer at the changeover and was soon stretched out on the court while she had her right thigh worked on.

Sevastova, who came back from a set down to beat Russia's five-time grand slam champion and crowd favourite Maria Sharapova in the fourth round, rallied again and secured the only break of the second set at 3-1 on her way to levelling the contest and setting the stage for a dramatic finish.

"When I started my comeback at Wimbledon I could have never dreamed of something like this, these results and making the semi-finals in my home slam, my favorite tournament," said Stephens. "It is indescribable."

(Editing by Toby Davis and Ken Ferris)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Top seed Halep cruises over Stephens

WASHINGTON -- World number two Simona Halep cruised into the second round of the WTA Citi Open on Tuesday, ousting US wildcard Sloane Stephens 7-6 (7/3), 6-0.

The 25-year-old Romanian, runner-up at this year's French Open, needed just 79 minutes to advance past 957th-ranked Stephens on the Washington hardcourts as she starts preparing for the US Open that begins August 28.

"It was a tough first set. I was missing a little bit too much and she made some shots," Halep said.

"For first match on hardcourts, it wasn't that bad. I missed a few shots. Didn't have the rhythm at the beginning, but I feel better now."

Stephens has only been playing for a month after missing nearly a year with a left foot injury. She remains frustrated as she tries to regain the form that saw her claim her first WTA title in Washington in 2015.

"It was a good first set," Stephens said. "I did well to do the best I could. I got a little frustrated in the second set. It's going to take a while to get that consistency back and get more matches under my belt."

Top seed Halep will face Colombia's 115th-ranked Mariana Duque-Marino for a quarter-final berth.

"My serve wasn't the best but I was OK. Everything went well. I can't say I have to adjust something," Halep said.

"It was important I won today. It was important the second set was much better. The next round I have to be a little more aggressive. I have to come to the baseline and finish the points sooner."

Reigning Olympic champion Monica Puig of Puerto Rico and Russian seventh seed Ekaterina Makarova each ousted US qualifiers to book a second-round meeting.

Puig defeated Louisa Chirico 6-4, 6-4 and Makarova beat Jamie Loeb 7-6 (7/4), 6-3.

Romania's Patricia Maria Tig edged Britain's Heather Watson 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/3).

On the men's side, Austrian top seed Dominic Thiem was set to face 96th-ranked Swiss Henri Laaksonen in a later second-round match while Japanese second seed Kei Nishikori was to meet American Donald Young.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

On-edge Serena beats Stephens to reach last eight

PARIS - Serena Williams has been living on the edge at the French Open and once again on Monday she survived, huffing and puffing into the quarter-finals with a 1-6 7-5 6-3 win over fellow American Sloane Stephens.

Stephens broke serve three times in the opening set against the 2002 and 2013 champion, who for the third match in a row at Roland Garros lost the opening set.

"It's not how you start, I guess it's how you finish. That's kind of how I'm looking at it," Williams told a news conference.

"I feel like I'm living on the edge. But I've got to get off the edge. I don't like to take chances, but at the same time this is also helping me in terms of knowing that I can play a two-hour match, I can do that."

The 19-times grand slam winner, broke serve twice in the second set to level. Stephens then faded away as Williams broke for a 3-2 lead in the decider before finishing the match on Stephens' serve with a dipping crosscourt backhand winner.

She next faces 17th seed Sara Errani of Italy for a place in the semi-finals.

Williams, who hit 43 unforced errors, has had to work hard to make progress this year and labelled her performance unprofessional after defeating Germany's Anna-Lena Friedsam in the second round.

She also dropped the first set in the third round against former world number one Victoria Azarenka.

But each time she found a way back into the match and prevailed.

"I don't just have one option. I have five, six, seven different options," Williams, whose preparations have been hampered by an injury, said.

"I'm definitely gaining confidence."

Also helping her confidence is the fact that she has beaten Errani in their eight encounters, three having been played on clay, although the Italian came close to beating her in the Fed Cup last month.

Williams knows that this time around she had better not be caught snoozing.

"I was two points from losing to her," Williams recalled.

"I'm going to have to be ready because she gave me the match of my life last time."

(Editing by Tony Jimenez and Justin Palmer)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com