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By Adrianna Outlaw | Saturday, August 8, 2015

 
Sloane Stephens

Sloane Stephens defeated Samantha Stosur, 7-6 (4), 6-0, to advance her first career final in Washington, D.C.

Photo credit: Citi Open

Gliding inside the service line, Sloane Stephens eyed the ball then slammed shut this Citi Open semifinal with an emphatic smash. Winless in six career semifinals, Stephens closed her seventh chance with conviction.

Contesting her 84th main-draw event, Stephens stopped Samantha Stosur, 7-6 (4), 6-0 to storm into her first career final in Washington, D.C.

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The 35th-ranked Stephens will play 2012 finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in Sunday's final that shapes up as a battle of talented unseeded players .

The 40th-ranked Russian split sets with compatriot Ekaterina Makarova, 4-6, 6-3, when the top seed was forced to retire with a calf issue. It marks the fourth time in the last five years a Russian woman will contest the Citi Open final.

Empowered by an eight-match winning streak, Stosur earned break point in the second game. Stephens slid a 110 mph slice ace down middle to save break point holding for 1-all. Perhaps rattled by a Stosur forehand return that trampolined off the court, Stephens slapped a few shots into net then sprayed a forehand dropping serve to trail 1-3.

The second seed couldn't make the break stand. Stosur scattered a couple of double faults as Stephens broke back for 2-3.

Serving at 4-5, 30-all, Stephens carved out an electric running forehand crosscourt, which helped her hold to extend the set. In the 11th game, Stosur denied a break point with a twisting serve before bolting her two-handed backhand down the line, holding for 6-5. Stephens snapped a forehand winner down the line to force the tie break.

A series of punishing forehands sent Stephens into chase mode. Stosur stepped into the doubles alley and drilled a forehand winner down the line for the mini-break, 2-1. Stephens was in position at net but pushed a forehand volley wide as Stosur took a 4-2 lead.




The forehand is Stosur's most reliable groundstroke, but it went MIA for the rest of the breaker. Stephens coaxed a pair of forehand errors, earning successive mini breaks for 5-4. Stosur ran around her backhand return but sprayed another forehand giving Stephens set point. The American slid an angled serve wide, winning her fourth straight point to take the tie break 7-4.

One set from her first career final, Stephens called for coach Nick Saviano, who provided direct reinforcement stressing the positives.

"It's about staying in the moment and playing Sloane Stephens tennis," Saviano told his charge. "You're doing great. Be proud of yourself."

Driving the ball deep to back Stosur up, Stephens drew a couple of forehand errors breaking for a 2-0 second-set advantage. The 22-year-old American saved a break point and dragged Stosur wide to her forehand, standing firm to stretch the lead to 3-0.

A second break punctuated by a love hold extended the lead to 5-0. On her third match point, Stephens stepped in and swatted a smash ending the long wait for her first final.


 

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