Stephens edges Cibulkova in third-set tiebreak for second title of season

There was a time when Sloane Stephens couldn't win a final—mainly because she couldn't reach them. The young American who reached the Australian Open semifinals and Wimbledon quarterfinals in 2013 didn't get her first shot at a tour title until last August, at the Citi Open. She won that match, and then the next final she made, this January in Auckland.

Now, the 22-year-old is 3-0 in WTA finals, with her latest triumph the most impressive of them all. Stephens got the best from Dominika Cibulkova, a former Australian Open finalist who, because of prior injury, has a deceptively low No. 66 ranking. But Stephens answered with her best, and it was better.

Once leading by a set and a break, Stephens held off Cibulkova's surge to prevail 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (5). She can expect to move into the Top 20 with the result.

"I got a little bit better today because of her, and I wouldn't want to have this memory with anyone else," said Stephens according to the WTA website.

With the win, Stephens also becomes the first WTA player to win two titles this season.

You had to work if you wanted to watch this match. It wasn't shown on Tennis Channel and required—in the United States, at least—exploring the web for various modes of streaming. But those who did were rewarded. The match was lauded on Twitter, thanks to points like this one:

Stephens earned three match points in the third-set tiebreaker, converting her third to win her third career crown:

"I don't think I've ever played in front of a crowd quite like this," said Stephens. "Thank you for letting me experience this in Acapulco because it's something I'll remember forever."

With two hard-court titles to her name in 2016, and potentially a Top 16 seed, Stephens could be a dark horse at both Indian Wells and Miami. She's reached the quarterfinals at both Premier Mandatory events before, and has advanced to the fourth round at at least one each year since 2012.