KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) — Ginapi ni American Sloane Stephens si Victoria Azarenka, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1,nitong Huwebes (Biyernes sa Manila para makausad sa championhip match ng Miami Open.
Makakaharp ni Stephens sa Finals ang magwawagi sa duwelo nina sixth-seeded Jelena Ostapenko at American qualifier Danielle Collins sa hiwalay na semifinals.
“In the first set, I was down but came back and I battled really well,” sambit ni Stephens. “So I knew if I did that in the second I’d be right in there. I ended up winning a lot of games in a row, and just tried to keep the momentum going.”
Goodbye PBA? John Amores, tinanggalan na ng professional license!
Natalo si Stephens sa unang tatlong laro kay Azarenka, ngunit makalipas lamang ng 11 minuto ay tuluyan na itong naging dominante sa naipanalong 15 sa huling 21 laro.
“I honestly didn’t feel good at all the whole match,” sambit ni Azarenka, three-time champion sa Key Biscayne at tangan ang 11-match winning streak bago ang kabiguan.
“I felt like I was a little bit too slow. ... I just stopped getting to the ball, I stopped hitting the ball the way I should be hitting the ball and she’s going to jump on it.”
Sa men’s quarterfinal, pinatalsik ng 16th-seeded na si Pablo Carreno Busta si No. 6 Kevin Anderson 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (6) sa rematch ng nakalipas na US Open semifinal.
Makakaharap ni Carreno Busta si No. 4 Alex Zverev, nagwagi 6-4, 6-4 kay No. 29 Borna Coric.
