Stephens wins Classic title

Stephens was to be top seed at the tournament, but mentioned in post-final media she had been ill all week.

“You just have to keep going and do your best”, Stephens said. “No, seriously to win a tournament is unbelievable. I was excited – I think that really helped”.

Serving for the title, the third seed showed few signs of nerves as she blasted a final forehand victor to capture her second WTA title in just an hour and 16 minutes.

At 5-6, Stephens came up with an ace of her own to save set point, although Wozniacki believed the ball had been wide.

Although she overpowered the German in a dominant second set, Stephens was made to work exhausting for the title, needing to first wrap up her rain-interrupted semi-last with former world primary Caroline Wozniacki 6-2 7-6(3) earlier on Saturday.

Sloane Stephens and Julia Goerges hold their trophies after the ASB Classic final on Saturday. The hard-hitting lefty from Germany proved a formidable foe for Stephens, at least in the opening set.

Goerges had been able to play her semi-final against Austrian qualifier Tamira Paszek in its entirety during a break in the wet weather on Friday. Yet, Stephens stood her ground and remained on serve with Goerges deep into the set. Wozniacki took an early break to go up 2-0, but immediately lost it in the third game.

After starting 5-5, Sloane Stephens has taken the first set over Julia Goerges emphatically.

The decisive moment came at 5-5, when world No. 50 Goerges, seeking her third title, saved two break points, but not a third as Stephens passed her at the net. This is also the first tile for Stephens while working with her new coach Kamau Murray. It’s definitely been a tough week.

“I knew if I stayed solid and played within myself I would be okay”.