Wozniacki snaps Stephens’ run, Svitolina routs Halep in Toronto
TORONTO, Canada: Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki rolled into the final of the WTA Toronto tennis by cooling off the red-hot Sloane Stephens, while Elina Svitolina needed two wins on Saturday to punch her ticket to the title match.
Wozniacki, the 2010 champion, required 80 minutes to eliminate a resurgent Stephens 6-2, 6-3 and reach her sixth final of 2017.
Fifth seeded Svitolina quashed defending champ Simona Halep’s quest for back-to-back titles with a 6-1, 6-1 demolition. The win came just hours after she ousted reigning Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in a quarterfinal that was postponed from Friday due to rain.
Stephens, who is ranked 934 in the world, was playing in just her third tournament after missing 11 months while recovering from foot surgery. She beat Petra Kvitova, Angelique Kerber and Lucie Safarova to reach the semifinals.
Wozniacki’s road to the final included a victory over world number one Karolina Pliskova.
None of Wozniacki’s 25 career titles have occurred this year. She is 0-5 in finals in 2017.
“I had one year where I went to six finals and I won all of them,” Wozniacki said. “I guess it’s a give and take sometimes and just that I keep myself in these situations is awesome. I give myself a chance to win and that’s what I’m going to go out (Sunday) and try to do.”
The Danish sixth seed jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first set then broke Stephens again to take a commanding 5-1 lead. CHARLOTTE: Unheralded American Kevin Kisner clung to a one-stroke lead after Saturday’s roller coaster third round of the PGA Championship, where contenders rose only to be humbled by formidable Quail Hollow.
Kisner, a winner three months ago at Colonial, dropped three strokes in the last three holes but finished with a one-over par 72 to stand on seven-under 206 for 54 holes at the year’s final Major tournament.
World number three Hideki Matsuyama, trying to become the first Japanese man to win a Major, shot 73 to share second on 207 with American Chris Stroud, who won last week in Reno to take the last spot in the PGA field.
“I’m disappointed in the way I played,” Matsuyama said. “However, I’m happy to just to be one stroke back and still have a chance and looking forward to tomorrow.”
Only 15 players cracked par for three rounds at the 7,600yard layout, setting the stage for a dramatic Sunday showdown for the Wanamaker Trophy and a top prize of $1.89 million (1.59 million euros).
Kisner birdied 14 and 15 for a two-stroke lead but found water on his approach at 16 and lipped-out a 30-foot putt to make double bogey.
At 18, Kisner’s approach bounced off a rock in a water hazard and landed in deep rough. He chipped across the green and two-putted for bogey to stay in front.
“Just a terrible finish. I’m kicking myself over that,” Kisner said. “A lot of burning putts that went off the edges.
After breezing through the first set, Wozniacki let a 3-1 lead in the second slip away as Stephens levelled at 3-3.
Wozniacki regained the momentum and after a brief rain delay she served out the match at 5-3.
In earlier quarterfinal matches on Saturday, Halep defeated Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia 6-4, 6-2, while Svitolina rallied from a first set loss to beat Muguruza.
The pair took to the court early on Saturday morning after Friday’s rain delays forced the quarterfinals to stretch into a second day.
Halep needed 70 minutes to advance as she didn’t drop a serve and broke Garcia three times.
Svitolina looked the fresher of the two in the semifinal against Halep. She PGA CHAMPIONSHIP THIRD ROUND SCORES 206 — Kevin Kisner (USA) 67-67-72 207 — Chris Stroud (USA) 68-68-71, Hideki Matsuyama (JPN) 70-64-73 208 — Justin Thomas (USA) 73-66-69, Louis Oosthuizen (RSA) 70-67-71 210 — Grayson Murray (USA) 68-73-69 211 — Graham DeLaet (CAN) 70-73-68, Patrick Reed (USA) 69-73-69, Gary Woodland (USA) 68-74-69, Scott Brown (USA) 73-68-70, Francesco Molinari (ITA) 73-64-74 212 — Chez Reavie (USA) 72-70-70, Kang Sung (KOR) 70-71-71, Ryan Fox (NZL) 75-66-71, Rickie Fowler (USA) 69-70-73 213 — Paul Casey (ENG) 69-70-74, Jason Day (AUS) 70-66-77 214 — JB Holmes (USA) 74-73-67, Satoshi Kodaira (JPN) 71-76-67, Henrik Stenson (SWE) 74-70-70, Robert Streb (USA) 74-70-70, Chris Wood (ENG) 72-72-70, James Hahn (USA) 73-70-71, Tony Finau (USA) 69-74-71, An Byeong-Hun (KOR) 71-69-74 Hopefully tomorrow.”
Kisner, ranked 25th, needed 109 tries before winning his first US PGA Tour title in 2015 at Sea Island, Georgia.
Matsuyama opened with a bogey, answered with a birdie at the par-5 seventh, but stumbled with back-to-back bogeys at 12 and the par-3 13th.
“Probably the pressure had something to do with it, being in the last group of a major tournament,” Matsuyama said. “But I haven’t been spot on all week. And the worries that I had about my swing showed up today in the way I played.”
Stroud, saying “I’m as calm as I’ve ever been,” shocked himself to make the final group they will fall hopes that her conditioning holds up in the title match.
“Of course I’m a little bit tired,” Svitolina said. “I didn’t expect this type of day but I’m very happy that I with a 71 despite a bogey-bogey finish.”
Justin Thomas, the 14thranked American with three US PGA victories this season, fired a 69, the only sub-par round among the last dozen players, to share fourth with South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen just two strokes adrift.
Oosthuizen suffered a right arm injury and a bent club after hitting off a tree root on the second hole. A trainer walked along with him rubbing the arm during the round.
Fourth-ranked Rory McIlroy fired a 73 to stand on 217. World number two Jordan Spieth closed with a double bogey to shoot 71 and was on 216, 10 shots adrift. could stay very focused. Yeah, I’m very happy.”
Saturday’s lopsided win helps avenge a crushing defeat Svitolina suffered at the hands of Halep just two months ago during the French Open.
Svitolina was one game away from sweeping Halep in the quarterfinals before an epic collapse that saw her eventually lose 3-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-0.
WTA TORONTO RESULTS Semifinals Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x6) bt Sloane Stephens (USA) 6-2, 6-3; Elina Svitolina (UKR x5) bt Simona Halep (ROU x2) 6-1, 6-1 Quarterfinals Elina Svitolina bt Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP x4) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3; Simona Halep (ROM x2) bt Caroline Garcia (FRA) 6-4, 6-2