Stephens, Keys to Meet in All-American French Open Semifinal

June 5, 2018 | By New York Tennis Magazine Staff
Sloane Stephens (37)_crop 2

 

In a rematch of last year’s U.S. Open final, Americans Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys will square off in the French Open semifinals after each won their respective quarterfinal matches on Tuesday.

Keys was the first of the two to advance as she beat Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan 7-6(5), 6-4 in one of the day’s early matches.

Stephens then bulldozed No. 14 seed Daria Kasatkina 6-3, 6-1 to complete the other half of Thursday’s semifinal.

“I thought I played pretty solid,” said Stephens. “I knew that every time you go into a match there are a little bit of nerves that go into it. I knew I had to come out and keep swinging. Sometimes I start well and sometimes a little sluggish. I knew I needed to keep swinging no matter what, even if it was very close, so that’s what I did.”

The all-American semifinal ensures there will be an American finalist not named Williams, man or woman, at the French Open for the first time since Jennifer Capriati in 2001.

Stephens is 2-0 all-time against Keys, including last year’s U.S. Open final victory.

 

 


New York Tennis Magazine Staff
Centercourt
USTA NTC

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