Samantha Stosur has been bundled out in the semi-finals of the WTA event in Washington, losing 7-6 (7-4) 6-0 to Sloane Stephens, who has now made her first tour final.

Stosur started the match well, breaking the American early in the first set to take a 3-1 lead, before Stephens broke back to force a tiebreak.

Stosur also led the breaker, racing out to a 4-2 lead, but again Stephens overcame the deficit, winning the next five points before ripping through the second set 6-0.

Stephens will face Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the final.

Pavlyuchenkova advanced when top-seeded compatriot Ekaterina Makarova retired with a right leg injury when the scores were locked at a set apiece 4-6 6-3.

Looking to the final, Stephens was relieved after losing in her first six tour semi-finals including at the 2013 Australian Open where she fell to eventual champion Victoria Azarenka.

“Finally, the long-awaited final,” Stephens said.

“I don’t know how it’s supposed to feel. It’s like OK, what now? Now people can stop talking about me – I’m really happy to do it.”

Stosur was trying to make her third final of the year, having claimed claycourt titles in Strasbourg and at her last event in Bad Gastein, Austria.