Stephens to make 1st WTA Finals appearance

Florida (US), Oct 14 (IANS) For the first time in her career, US tennis player Sloane Stephens has qualified for the upcoming WTA Finals, the season ending, eight-woman tournament to be held in Singapore, the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) announced on Sunday.

Stephens, 25, was the 2018 Miami Open champion and the French Open runner-up and is the sixth player to book a place in the tournament, scheduled for October 21-28, reports Efe news.

"I'm honored to qualify for my first WTA Finals. I'm looking forward to meeting the amazing fans in Singapore, exploring the city, and competing against the best players of the season," Stephens was quoted by the WTA website as saying.

Stephens joins Romania's Simona Halep, Germany's Angelique Kerber, Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki, Japan's Naomi Osaka and the Czech Republic's Petra Kvitova who have already secured a spot in the tournament.

Still in the running for the remaining two WTA Finals berths are Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, the Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova, the Netherlands' Kiki Bertens and Belarus's Aryna Sabalenka.

Stephens previously won the 2017 US Open.