Osaka has no answer to Sloane's steady way
Japanese beaten in battle of last two US Open champions
A calm Sloane Stephens picked her shots to perfection to pull clear for a 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 victory over Japan's Naomi Osaka in a battle between the last two US Open champions at the WTA Finals at the Singapore Indoor Stadium yesterday.
Both women are making their debuts at the season-ending event, and it was the American who opened Red Group action with a win built on the foundations of solid defence from the baseline and a devastating forehand when she attacked.
"I just competed really well and never gave up," Stephens, the fifth seed, said in a post-match interview.
"I knew I would have to play some really good tennis to beat her, stayed tough and tried to stay as positive as I could and took my opportunities when they presented themselves."
After trading early breaks, the match settled down as the pair enjoyed more success on serve, until Stephens, content to adopt a patient approach from the baseline, broke again in the seventh game when Osaka made a slew of unforced errors.
But third seed Osaka is not one to back down and the Japanese, 21, broke straight back to level the contest at 4-4, thanks to some sublime stroke-making aided by a couple of double-faults from her opponent.
After a solid hold from Stephens, Osaka was struggling to contain her emotions as she found the net or went long with her increasingly erratic backhand and the American secured her third break of the match to move a game away from taking the set.
Stephens was growing in confidence as Osaka battled her emotional demons and the American fittingly sealed the opener on her third set-point, when the world No. 4 sent another backhand into the net.
Osaka changed her tactics at the start of the second set, finding success by drawing Stephens into the court and away from her baseline comfort zone to hold far more comfortably, but the American used her potent forehand to stay in touch.
Stephens looked the more composed at that stage, but Osaka dug deep and battled back from 15-40 to hold in the fifth game and came out on top of three breaks of serve to send the contest into a decider when the American double-faulted on set point.
The world No. 6 broke immediately at the start of the third set.
And after Osaka wasted a chance to level things up when she declined to challenge a call that would have been ruled in her favour, Stephens took command of the match.
A pair of easy holds and an another break took her to 5-1, and the 2017 US Open winner sealed the contest on her second match-point when Osaka double-faulted for the fourth time in the match.
"We played a really tough and competitive match so it's always an honour to share the court with somebody that good," Stephens added.
Meanwhile, Osaka was not about to dwell in the defeat.
She said: "Usually after I lose, I have very specific things that I think would have changed the match, but I don't have any regrets - this entire match was a really hard battle.
"I took my five minutes of being really sad and from there, I just tried to think... what can I learn from this match and try to apply it to the next match?
"And this is really interesting because all the players you play here are the best in the world... it can only get better (with) every match you play."
In last night's late match, eighth seed Kiki Bertens caused an upset by defeating top seed Angelique Kerber 1-6, 6-3, 6-4. - REUTERS
TONIGHT'S MATCHES
7.30pm: Caroline Wozniacki (x2) v Petra Kvitova (x4)
Followed by: Elina Svitolina (x6) v Karolina Pliskova (x7)
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