The incredible US hard court season of American hope Sloane Stephens will continue on into the quarterfinals of the US Open as the former rising star fought past Julia Goerges 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 in New York City.
As if two straight WTA Premier 5 semifinals in Toronto and Cincinnati wasn’t enough for American Sloane Stephens, the former rising star, returning from a near year-long foot injury, continued her incredible run of from on the US hard courts, booking her spot in the US Open quarterfinals. Stephens, still only 24, wore down big-hitting German Julia Goerges 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 to the delight of a raucous home crowd on the temporary Louis Armstrong Stadium.
The unseeded home hope has been impressive throughout this year’s tournament, beating her second seeded player en route to her first career last eight showing at Flushing Meadows and her first Grand Slam quarterfinal since Wimbledon way back in 2013.
“When I first came back at Wimbledon I was super nervous that it wasn’t going to go my way. I was afraid that the results weren’t going to come the way I wanted them to,” said Stephens in her on-court interview.
“But I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better comeback and a better way to come back to the tour. Obviously making quarterfinals here is unbelievable.”
In the opening set it was pretty evenly-matched early on as the two traded powerful shots back and forth to bring the score to 3-2 on serve. With Goerges serving to level the set at 3-all, two poorly timed forehand errors cost her dearly, giving up the break and a 4-2 lead to Stephens. The American favorite rode that break advantage through the rest of the set, serving it out 6-3 as the German’s forehand continued to let her down as she gave up the first set.
The second set was much better from Goerges, the 30th seed who’s had an incredible summer herself with three finals. The powerful German rebounded immediately in the second set, backing up a routine hold in the first game with an impressive break of serve to go up 2-0 off a powerful forehand overhead winner.
The in-form 28-year-old took good care of her serve as a powerful forehand winner brought up 5-2 for Goerges and forced Stephens to serve to stay in the set. Looking to level the match at a set apiece, the German continued to show some of her powerful brand of tennis as two winners off the ground closed out the game and the second set 6-3.
In the decider it was all Stephens though as the New York City crowd began to spur on the home hopeful as the 30th seed’s game completely unraveled with four unforced errors off the ground to gift the break and 3-1. The errors continued to fly off the racquet of the Germans as she played another disastrous service game with three unforced errors and a double fault pretty much handing a pumped up Stephens the 5-1 lead and a double break.
Looking to serve out a spot in her first US Open quarterfinal, three more errors from Goerges put the last nails in her coffin as Stephens closed the match out with an overhead winner to screams from the raucous Labor Day Weekend crowd.
Following her quality 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 win over an erratic Goerges, Stephens was jubilant to be into her first major quarterfinal in over four years. “I’m just really happy. Obviously before or when I started playing again at Wimbledon and D.C. I didn’t expect much. I was just playing and having fun, having a good time. I’m still playing and having a good time. That’s really all there is to it,” commented the unseeded American.
Asked in her press conference if she’s been at all surprised by her great comeback and form this US hardcourt season, the 24-year-old said, “Uhm, no. I mean, yes, it surprised me. Obviously, I could never say, Oh, yeah, when I was coming back, I’m going to make two semifinals, a quarterfinal. I would have been like, You’re crazy.”
“But I definitely think that, uhm, I’m playing well. I think it’s more of like putting the matches together, like, that process that makes it a little bit tougher when you’re coming back. I was lucky able to get a lot of those matches in a row, like in Toronto and Cincinnati back-to-back, which during a comeback is not easy. So I think that’s probably where I kind of got a little fortunate there,” said a very thoughtful and candid Stephens.
Up next for the home hope is 16th seed Anastasija Sevastova, who’s into her second straight US Open quarterfinal after a dramatic three set win over five-time major champion Maria Sharapova. Asked about her last eight opponent, the American said, “Well, she’s a great player. I will obviously talk to my coach, just go out and play the game that I’ve been playing. Obviously tweak a few things here and there, but pretty much the same thing.”
“I mean, I played a lot of matches in the last couple weeks. I can’t really change too much. But I’m sure I’ll have a good game plan going into it. That will be that,” concluded Stephens.
Stephens and Sevastova will play their quarterfinal matchup on Tuesday with a spot in the final four on the line in Flushing Meadows.
