DT e-Paper Saturday 09 September 2017

20
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2017
DT
Sports
Stephens ousts Venus, to face Keys for US Open title
• AFP, New York
Americans Sloane Stephens and
Madison Keys, both struggling
with serious injuries just three
months ago, advanced to their first
Grand Slam final at the US Open on
Thursday.
Stephens, who missed 11
months with a left foot injury before
returning in July, outlasted
seven-time Slam champion Venus
Williams 6-1, 0-6, 7-5.
“I’m super happy to be in a
Grand Slam final,” Stephens said.
“To do it here, my home slam,
is obviously more special. I think
this is what every player dreams
about.”
US 15th seed Keys, who had left
wrist surgery for the second time
in 10 months after a first-round
French Open exit, routed US 20th
seed CoCo Vandeweghe 6-1, 6-2 in
66 minutes to complete the first
all-American US Open final since
Serena Williams beat sister Venus
in 2002.
“It still doesn’t feel real. I’m still
shaking,” Keys said.
“I played pretty well. There’s a
lot of things in my head right now
so I’m struggling to come up with
words.
“I knew I had to rise to the occasion.
I’m just happy to be in the
final.”
The friends and Fed Cup teammates
will meet Saturday at Arthur
Ashe Stadium in the biggest match
of either’s career for a top prize of
Stephens 9-Williams
Aces 2 3
Double faults 2 6
Break points won 5/12 5/14
Winners 17 28
Net points won 8/11 10/24
Unforced errors 27 51
Total points 90 84
Match time: Two hours, seven minutes
$3.7m (3.07m euros).
“I’ve known her for a long time.
She’s one of my closest friends on
tour,” Stephens said.
“I love her to death. And it’s not
easy playing a friend.”
Stephens, who was wearing a
walking boot in June and ranked
957th in July, has won 14 of her
past 16 matches, with semi-final
runs at Toronto and Cincinnati.
“I have no words to describe
what I’m feeling, what it took to
get here, the journey I’ve been on,”
Stephens said.
“It’s incredible. I don’t know
how I got here. Your guess is as
good as mine. Just hard work.
That’s it.”
Stephens beat Keys in the second
round at Miami in 2015 in their
only career meeting.
“Sloane is a new person right
now,” Keys said.
15-Keys 20-Vandeweghe
Aces 5 0
Double faults 1 2
Break points won 4/7 0/0
Winners 25 9
Net points won 3/6 10/20
Unforced errors 9 22
Total points won 62 36
Match time: One hour, six minutes
“She’s so excited to be out on
the court again. I’m excited we get
to play each other in the US Open
final.”
Stephens needed a thrilling
break at love in the penultimate
game and closing hold of serve to
deny two-time champion Williams
her first US Open final in 15 years.
“I just worked my tail off and
tried to run every ball down and
here we are,” Stephens said.
“It required a lot of fight and a
lot of grit.”
Now ranked 83rd, Stephens is
the lowest-ranked Slam finalist
since unranked Justine Henin at
the 2010 Australian Open and the
lowest at the US Open since unranked
Kim Clijsters won the 2009
title.
Stephens, who beat Williams in
the first round of the 2015 French
Open in their only prior meeting,
will jump into the world top 25
next week with the victory.
US ninth seed Williams could
not overcome 51 unforced errors
that doomed her bid to become the
oldest women’s singles finalist in
US Open history at age 37.
“It was definitely well competed,”
Williams said.
“In the end she won more points
than I did and that’s what it added
up to.
“Just made so many errors at the
end there...I wasn’t playing well.
Just wasn’t playing well.”
Williams will return to the
top five in Monday’s world rankings
for the first time since 2011,
the year she was diagnosed with
strength-sapping Sjogren’s Syndrome.
Stephens, 24, is 4-0 in WTA finals,
having won titles in 2015 at
Washington and last year in Auckland,
Acapulco and Charleston.
The only cautionary note for
Keys, 22, was a medical timeout
to have her right leg taped three
games from the end. •
Koeman disappointed by
Rooney’s actions after
drink-driving charge
• Reuters, London
Everton manager Ronald Koeman
said he was “very disappointed” by
striker Wayne Rooney after the former
England captain was charged
with drink-driving last week.
Rooney, who has impressed on
the pitch since returning to boyhood
club Everton in the summer
after 13 years at Manchester United,
has been bailed to appear at
Stockport Magistrates’ Court on
September 18.
Speaking for the first time about
the incident, Koeman read a short
statement, saying: “I’m very disappointed
by the situation. We have
spoken last Tuesday.”
Koeman refused to discuss any
disciplinary action the club might
decide to take against the 31-yearold,
but said he would be available
for selection against Tottenham
Hotspur in the Premier League at
the weekend.
Rooney has scored twice since
returning to Goodison Park.
Koeman said midfielder Ross
Barkley who has a hamstring injury
would be out for two months.
A proposed transfer deadline day
move for him to Chelsea failed to
materialise.
“Ross was open to a move and
there was an agreement between
Chelsea and Everton,” Koeman
said, saying Barkley had explained
to him why he decided against the
move to Stamford Bridge. •
Venus not
going anywhere
despite US
Open defeat
• Reuters, New York
Venus Williams rejected the suggestion
she might be content to
serve as an inspiration to younger
players after her 6-1 0-6 7-5 defeat
to fellow American Sloane
Stephens in the semi-finals of the
United States Open Championship
on Thursday.
The 37-year-old Williams was
not amused when asked at her
hastily-convened media conference
if there was any consolation
the younger generation of American
players, three of whom made
the semi-finals with her, have cited
her as an inspiration.
“To be honest, I’m definitely
here to win my matches, not for
consolations,” she said.
“That definitely sums it up.”
Asked about her plans for the
immediate future, she was again
succinct.
“I will continue to play tennis.
It’s nothing complicated.” •
Fifa opens disciplinary
proceedings against
England’s Alli
• Reuters, London
Fifa has opened disciplinary proceedings
against England midfielder
Dele Alli after he made an
obscene gesture during a World
Cup qualifier against Slovakia, a
spokesman for the world body said
yesterday.
The matter will be investigated
and submitted to Fifa’s disciplinary
committee.
The Tottenham Hotspur player
was caught on camera raising
a middle finger in the direction of
French referee Clement Turpin after
the official did not award a foul
for a heavy challenge by Slovakia’s
Martin Skrtel late in the match last
Monday.
England won the Group F qualifier
2-1.
England manager Gareth Southgate
said the 21-year-old had told
him the gesture was made in jest
towards his former Tottenham
team mate Kyle Walker, who joined
Manchester City over the summer.
“Kyle and Dele were mucking
about, and Dele’s made a gesture
towards Kyle. I don’t know what
the angle of the pitch is. The pair
of them have a strange way of
communicating, but that’s what
they’ve said,” he told reporters.
Alli, who was praised by Southgate
for his match performance,
later explained his actions on Twitter.
“Just to clarify, the gesture tonight
was a joke between me and
my good friend Kyle Walker! Apologies
for any offence caused! Great
win 2nite (sic),” he wrote. •