By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, March 26, 2018
Sloane Stephens continues to create a comfort zone on American hard courts.
In a clash of Grand Slam champion, Stephens broke serve five times sweeping Wimbledon winner Garbiñe Muguruza, 6-3, 6-4, to advance to the Miami Open quarterfinals.
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The victory means the world's top 3-ranked women—world No. 1 Simona Halep, 2017 finalist Caroline Wozniacki and Muguruza—failed to reach the quarterfinals.
"I think I miss too many shots," Muguruza told the media in Miami. "You know, I did a couple of mistakes that I shouldn't have done in important moments, and she was serving good. I think my serve in general could be better. Yeah, it's not a big difference, but at the end, the few details went to her side."
Suffering through an eight-match losing streak after her US Open triumph last September, Stephens has found her footing and is back enjoying her day job.
"Obviously playing Garbiñe, she's an incredible player so I knew I had to come out and execute pretty well," Stephens told Andrew Krasny afterward. " I had to come out focused and stay focused on my game and I think I did that pretty good."
It is Stephens' second quarterfinal in her last three tournaments following her run to the last eight in Acapulco. Stephens slumped through an eight-match losing streak after her Flushing Meadows triumph, but now believes she's back to her tennis routine.
"After winning a Grand Slam, it was not easy to come out and play again," Stephens said. "The long layoff was a tough time for me. I was so excited winning the US Open, I was living my life to the fullest. Now I'm back to my day job. I'm happy to be back."
The reigning US Open champion will face 2016 US Open champion Angelique Kerber for a place in the final four.
Former world No. 1 Kerber showed stubborn grit battling past Chinese qualifier Yafan Wang, 6-7 (1), 7-6 (5), 6-3 in a sticky, physical grind.
"She loves to be playing in front of the home crowd," Kerber said of Stephens. "But for me it will be a challenge. I mean, the last time I lost against her, and now I just can try again to going out there, play my best, and trying my best to give all I can, trying to win the match, but I think it will be a good match."
Seeking a quick start against Muguruza, Stephens surged through the first seven points of the match winning three of the first four games.
Muguruza branded a backhand down the line scoring the fourth break of the set for 2-3. The Spaniard backed up the break to level.
In the eighth game, the Spaniard sped out to a 40-15 lead only to see Stephens flick a forehand pass for deuce. A double fault and scattered forehand cost Muguruza the break.
Serving for the set, Stephens slid a forehand winner for set point. Trying to squeeze shots closer to the sidelines, Muguruza could not break down Stephens' defense.
Stephens hit 10 winners compared to six for Muguruza in the 36-minute opener. Spraying a forehand wide, Muguruza dropped the set and called for her coach, Sam Sumyk.
A stoic Muguruza rewrapped her wrist bands while coach Sumyk urged her play deeper down the middle "hang in there and fight."
Deadlocked at 2-all in the second set, Muguruza staved off three break points, including carving a fine forehand volley on the third break point. As the game waged on past the seven-minute mark, Muguruza double-faulted the break away as Stephens snatched a 3-2 lead.
Shrugging it off, the two-time Grand Slam champion hammered heavy forehands breaking back at 15 in the sixth game.
Stephens quieted the Spaniard's uprising, attacking Muguruza's forehand to break at 15. Surging through eight of the next 10 points, Stephens stretched the lead to 5-3.
The world No. 12 served it out in 88 minutes.
Stephens, who suffered an eight-match losing streak after her Flushing Meadows major breakthrough, is finding her range and rhythm back on American hard courts and is poised to crack the Top 10 for the first time.
"I will be happy, because I'm tired of people saying 'and her career high ranking is 11 in the world,' " Stephens said. "Yeah, hopefully one of these days, sometime soon, I'll be able to break it. But, I mean, it will be a good step. That one spot will really determine a lot of things."