Simona Halep, Sloane Stephens reach French Open final

ByABC News
June 7, 2018, 1:06 PM

PARIS -- Twice the runner-up in Paris, top-ranked Simona Halep will have another shot in the French Open final.

She defeated 2016 champion Garbine Muguruza 6-1, 6-4 on Thursday, converting her first match point when the third-seeded Muguruza sent a final backhand long.

"It was very nice to play like that," Halep said. "I'm really happy that I could beat a player like Muguruza. She's a great opponent, a great player. And it's always tough against her. I think I played very well."

Halep will vie for the title against 10th seed Sloane Stephens, who beat 13th seed Madison Keys 6-4, 6-4 to become the first American woman other than Venus or Serena Williams to reach the French Open final since Jennifer Capriati in 2001.

It will be Halep's second consecutive Grand Slam final. She lost the title match at the Australian Open in January.

"I played again one of my best matches on clay," Halep said after coming back from a break down in the second set against Muguruza.

Halep is guaranteed to remain the world No. 1 after the tournament. Had Muguruza won, she would have moved up to No. 1 when the new rankings come out next week.

Muguruza was vying to become the first woman since Justine Henin in 2006 and 2007 to win the French Open without dropping a set.

"She didn't miss a lot," Muguruza said of Halep. "I think she gave very little free points. Her shots were very, very deep and very aggressive constantly. ... It is a very tough day, because, you know, it's one of those matches where you train so hard, you know, to achieve a Grand Slam final."

Halep has a 5-2 edge in career matches against Stephens and has won the past four in straight sets.

The 25-year-old Stephens won last year's US Open for her first major, beating Keys in the final.

After Keys held for 5-4 on Court Philippe Chatrier, Stephens served out victory at the second attempt. She won on her first match point with a backhand winner down the line and then met her friend at the net for an embrace.

Stephens had lost her serve for the first time against Keys when serving for the match at 5-2.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.