Stephens wins to launch American semi-final charge

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – Sloane Stephens took down 16th-seeded Latvian Anastasija Sevastova with a gritty 6-3 3-6 7-6(4) win   yesterday to lead what could be an American parade into the U.S. Open semi-finals.

For the first time in 15 years four American women will appear in the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows with the 83rd-ranked Stephens hoping to be joined in the last four by Venus Williams, CoCo Vandeweghe and Madison Keys.

Ranked outside the top 950 just six weeks ago, Stephens was the most likely of the U.S. contenders to see her run end in the quarter-finals but the 24-year-old would not be denied. Down 3-1 and a double break point in the third set Stephens dug deep and rode the support of a raucous Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd to get back on level terms and force a tiebreak clinching victory on her first match point with a thundering a forehand winner down the line.