Other than the biggest title of her career so far and a check for $128, 100, Stephens also received a surprise present in the form of a car, Volvo V60 Polestar. It now seems that Charleston will be, like Stuttgart, giving away cars to the winners of the tournaments. Sloane Stephens was very surprised about the car, and had no idea whatsoever that she was going to receive it.
“Did you all know I was going to get a car?” Stephens asked reporters in the press room after her win. “Me neither. That was crazy.”
Stephens developed a lead of 5-2 in the first set, but got broken at 5-3 when she was serving out the set. Stephens then got broken again, and had to save a set point in the first set at 5-6, but at the 4th break point she managed to send the set into a tiebreak. Stephens was dominant throughout the tiebreak, and won it 7-4.
“I just thought to myself, I needed to be more aggressive and take my opportunities,” Stephens said. “I was playing really passive. And I had a bit of T. Rex arm syndrome, so I needed to just hit through the ball.”
Stephens kept her momentum from the tiebreak, and stepped up her game. She did not face a single break point, as she broke her opponent twice. In the end, Stephens struggled a bit, as she blew a 40-0 lead on her serve, but served the match out after a deuce.
“I mean I’m happy to be winning tournaments, and that’s all I can really think about, just trying to get better and every week try and go for another title.”
Vesnina, who, including doubles, played 10 matches this week in Charleston had nothing but praise for her opponent, and even went as far as to make a prediction about the future of Stephens’ career.
“Sloane was playing really solid,” said Vesnina, who is now No. 51 in the rankings “She was like a little bit better, one step faster, one step better. I mean she’s one of the best players on the defense, so when she’s sliding and getting all those balls, at some point I was just thinking, you know, she’s everywhere.”
“I felt that I lost to a player who can be back in top 10 this year,” Vesnina said. “I really think like that because Sloane, she has the potential for that.”
