{"id":351655,"date":"2017-09-08T07:02:57","date_gmt":"2017-09-08T07:02:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=351655"},"modified":"2017-11-10T12:03:16","modified_gmt":"2017-11-10T12:03:16","slug":"us-open-2017-sloane-stephens-beats-venus-williams-to-reach-final","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2017\/09\/us-open-2017-sloane-stephens-beats-venus-williams-to-reach-final\/","title":{"rendered":"US Open 2017: Sloane Stephens beats Venus Williams to reach final"},"content":{"rendered":"

Unseeded Sloane Stephens held her nerve to beat Venus Williams in three sets and set up a US Open final against fellow American Madison Keys.<\/p>\n

Stephens, ranked 83rd after recently returning from injury, won 6-1 0-6 7-5 in the first semi-final in New York.<\/p>\n

In another all-US contest, 15th seed Keys then beat compatriot Coco Vandeweghe 6-1 6-2.<\/p>\n

Both Stephens and Keys will make their Grand Slam final debuts on Saturday.<\/p>\n

It will be the first time since Serena Williams beat Venus in 2002 that Flushing Meadows has hosted a women\u2019s final featuring two American players.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving four Americans in the semi-finals, I think that says a lot about American tennis and where we are right now,\u201d said Stephens.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think I would have had it any other way. I\u2019m just super proud and honoured to be a part of what these four girls were, what we did tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stephens only returned to action at Wimbledon, ranked 957th, after missing 11 months with a foot injury.<\/p>\n

Two months later the 24-year-old is on a run of 14 wins in 16 matches and through to her first major final, with her speed of foot and athleticism to the fore.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have no words to describe my feelings and what it took to get here. I have no words,\u201d said Stephens.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have no idea how I have done it. Your guess is as good as mine.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf someone had told me when I started my comeback that I would make two semi-finals and a Grand Slam final I would have passed out. I don\u2019t know how I did it. Just hard work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Williams, 37, misses out on returning to the US Open final 15 years after her last, and the two-time champion will end 2017 without adding another major title despite reaching two finals and a semi-final.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, it\u2019s about putting myself in the position all the time to get the titles, and that\u2019s exactly what I did,\u201d said Williams.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s all I could do.\u201d<\/p>\n

–<\/p>\n

Source: BBC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Unseeded Sloane Stephens held her nerve to beat Venus Williams in three sets and set up a US Open final against fellow American Madison Keys. Stephens, ranked 83rd after recently returning from injury, won 6-1 0-6 7-5 in the first semi-final in New York. In another all-US contest, 15th seed Keys then beat compatriot Coco […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[10906,10907],"yoast_head":"\nUS Open 2017: Sloane Stephens beats Venus Williams to reach final - Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. 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