French Open: Sloane Stephens wins US duel against Madison Keys in the final

Tenth-placed Sloane Stephens has won the girlfriends’ US duel and is in the final of the French Open for the first time. The 2017 US Open winner defeated Madison Key (No 13) 6-4, 6-4 in a new edition of last year’s New York final and on Saturday Stephens will meet world number one Simona Halep (Romania), who is still waiting for her first major coup.

After 1:17 hours Stephens turned her first match point with a forehand winner. The reward: In two days it will reach for its second Grand Slam crown within nine months and the winner’s cheque of 2.2 million euros. Like in the final of Flushing Meadows in September 2017 (3:6, 0:6), Keys once again fell short of her (own) expectations in an exchange of blows with her good friend Stephens.

The two have known each other since their youth, live in Florida and enjoy eating out together. Last year they jointly won the Fed Cup for record winners USA. Both Stephens (foot injury) and Keys (wrist blow) have already gone through difficult phases in their careers. They helped each other through the dark times and always supported each other. Not a matter of course in the shark tank WTA circus.

Of course Stephens had invited Keys to her Champions Party after the US Open Final – and of course “Maddy” accepted with thanks. Although she was somewhat upset at the party, the lawyer’s daughter did not prove to be a party scare.

On the Court Philippe Chatrier, Stephens was the much better, because more consistent player. Keys made a total of 41 unforced mistakes (Stephens: 11). In front of US boxing legend Mike Tyson, the big apple winner used her first break point to take the lead 2-1. Stephens carried the lead confidently through the opening round. Symptomatic that Keys involuntarily ended the first set with her 23rd Unforced Errors, a forehand into the net, after a good half an hour.

Stephens, who was clearly ahead in the statistics of the points won after the first AND second service, remained true to her line and quickly took a 2-0 lead. The level of the game suffered from the many mistakes, really good mood never appeared on the somewhat sparsely occupied ranks. The first semi-final between Halep and Wimbledon winner Garbine Muguruza (Spain/No. 3) had a significantly higher quality – and a higher tension factor. The Romanian won 6:1, 6:4.

After her foot waving and a nine-month break, Stephens, daughter of a fatally injured NFL professional and a college swimmer, only finished 934th in the WTA ranking at the beginning of August 2017. “The injury opened my eyes. I haven’t put myself under such pressure since then, I’ve become wiser,” she said. During the break Stephens also took care of her grandmother, who had suffered a stroke.