Emma Raducanu’s staggering US Open run has seen the British qualifier set up the unlikeliest of Grand Slam finals against fellow teenager Leylah Fernandez of Canada.
Raducanu upset No.17 seed Maria Sakkari 6-1 6-4 to reach her first major final in just her second Grand Slam main draw, a result that means she has won an incredible 18 consecutive sets in nine straight wins.
Earlier on Friday night, Fernandez defeated No.2 seed Aryna Sabalenka in an electrifying contest to advance to her first major final, notching her third win over a top-five player this fortnight in New York.
The world No.73 became the third-lowest ranked woman to reach the US Open final in the Open Era – until the 150th-ranked Raducanu upstaged her to become the first qualifier in Open Era history to ever advance to a Grand Slam final.
Raducanu continues staggering run
Sakkari was appearing in a Grand Slam semifinal for the second time this season, having beaten top-10 seeds Petra Kvitova, Bianca Andreescu and Karolina Pliskova in her three previous matches.
But she was unable to truly relax into the contest and reproduce the level of tennis that got her to this point.
Instead, it was the inexperienced Raducanu playing at an impressive high level; the 18-year-old saved seven break points across her first two service games and was suddenly ahead 5-0 before Sakkari finally got on the board.
The Greek’s serve was nowhere near as potent as it had been earlier in the tournament, and Raducanu continued to feast on her second serve.
She played with controlled aggression to build a 6-1 3-1 lead, and when Sakkari fell behind 15-40 in the next game, her stat sheet showed just nine winners against 24 unforced errors.
Although Sakkari elevated her game from that point, she had given Raducanu too big of a head start, and the Brit’s game continued to flow with confidence.
Raducanu arrived at 6-1 5-4 and served for the match, playing an exceptionally poised, positive game and closing out the biggest win of her young career with a swinging forehand volley winner.
Fernandez outsteadies Sabalenka
Sabalenka became increasingly dispirited as she struggled to hit through her young opponent, finishing with 52 unforced errors as Fernandez counterpunched brilliantly and refused to be pushed off the baseline.
Sabalenka initially overwhelmed Fernandez with her power, winning 12 of the first 14 point on her way to a 4-1 lead.
But Fernandez settled, returned and rallied impressively, and began to challenge the world No.2.
The set grew tighter and proceeded to a tiebreak, where Sabalenka’s game imploded; she sprayed six unforced errors from 2-0 up to hand the opening set to the Canadian.
Having never been beyond the third round of a major tournament before this US Open, Fernandez was playing a remarkably composed and intelligent match, and had the backing of the New York crowd.
In the second set she again recovered from a break down, and a frustrated Sabalenka destroyed her racquet at a changeover after dropping three straight games.
Fernandez arrived within two games of victory – only to slip slightly from her high level and allow Sabalenka to pounce with her power.
But she was not discouraged, breaking serve for a 4-2 lead in the final set, despite Sabalenka leading 40-15 in that game.
Showing few signs of nerves despite the occasion, Fernandez absorbed the pressure that Sabalenka applied to break back and level at 4-4, and moved to within a game of the final, forcing the second seed to serve to stay in the match.
Again, Sabalenka’s game went awry, with two double faults handing the Canadian a bundle of match points, which she converted when Sabalenka sent a final forehand long.
In her past four matches, Fernandez has defeated defending champion Naomi Osaka, three-time major winner Angelique Kerber, fifth seed Elina Svitolina, and now Sabalenka.
Stat of the day
You could write an entire article alone on how both Fernandez and Raducanu have re-written the sport’s record books with their semifinal victories.
But the stat we love most is one that harkens back to a WTA golden era.
The Canadian and the Brit will clash in the first all-teenaged Grand Slam final since Serena Williams faced Martina Hingis 22 years ago.
Back in that 1999 decider, then-17-year-old Williams overpowered 18-year-old Hingis in straight sets to win the first of her 23 Grand Slam singles titles.
Could we be witnessing the beginning of a similarly legendary career for one of our 2021 finalists?
Doubles: British champion guaranteed
Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares, US Open champions in 2016, will play for their second title at Flushing Meadows after beating Australia’s John Peers and Czech Filip Polasek.
The British-Brazilian duo, seeded seventh, won 6-3 3-6 6-4 to set up a final with Australian Open 2020 champions Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury.
Ram and Salisbury earlier on Thursday beat Americans Steve Johnson and Sam Querrey 7-6(5) 6-4.
Salisbury, also of Britain, and American partner Ram are appearing in their third Grand Slam men’s doubles final together, but first outside of Australia.
Wheelchair: De Groot a step closer to Golden Slam
World No.1 Diede de Groot got her US Open wheelchair singles campaign off to a strong start by beating Colombia’s Angelica Bernal.
The Dutchwoman routed Bernal 6-2 6-0 to reach the semifinals, where she will face compatriot Aniek van Koot, who beat American Dana Mathewson for the loss of just three games.
Fresh off her recent victory at the Tokyo Paralympics, De Groot is bidding to become the first women’s wheelchair play in history to complete the Golden Grand Slam – all four major titles plus the Paralympic gold medal in a single season.
Also progressing were second seed Yui Kamiji of Japan and Brit Jordanne Whiley, who will meet in the other semifinal.
In men’s wheelchair singles action, No.1 seed and Tokyo Paralympic gold medallist Shingo Kunieda, Brits Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid, and Argentine Gustavo Fernandez all advanced to the semifinals with straight-sets wins.
Quotes of the day
"Honestly I just can't believe it. A shock. Crazy. All of the above. It means a lot to be here in this situation. I wanted obviously to be playing Grand Slams, but I didn't know how soon that would be. To be in a Grand Slam final at this stage of my career, yeah, I have no words."
- Emma Raducanu
“I think I've been doing some things incredible. It's like I think one word that really stuck to me is 'magical' because not only is my run really good but also the way I'm playing right now. I'm just having fun, I'm trying to produce something for the crowd to enjoy. I'm glad that whatever I'm doing on court, the fans are loving it and I'm loving it, too.”
- Leylah Fernandez
"I probably didn't handle it the right way, playing a second semifinal again this year. I had bad memories from my last one. Things don't go your way most of the times. You just have to accept that. I'll go back home and I'll start working hard again because I'm having the best season of my life. I still have very good chances of finishing where I want to finish this season no matter what happened here."
- Maria Sakkari
“This is what we call pressure. That's why I'm a little bit disappointed about this match because I had a lot of opportunities and I didn't use it. Well, this is life. If you're not using your opportunities, someone else will use it. This is what happened today. I will try to improve it. I will keep working and fighting, and I believe that one day it will come.”
- Aryna Sabalenka
Tweets of the day
Seeing someone’s dreams come true is so beautiful ...
— Kim Clijsters (@Clijsterskim) September 10, 2021
Quelle?? performance ??@leylahfernandez ?? Félicitations pour avoir atteint la FINALE de l'@usopen, on est derrière toi jusqu'au bout ! ??
— Félix AugerAliassime (@felixtennis) September 10, 2021
What ?? a ?? performance ?? @leylahfernandez ??
Congratulations on reaching the @usopen FINAL, we’re behind you all the way! ??
Amazing again @EmmaRaducanu #USOpen
— Neal Skupski (@nealskupski) September 10, 2021
.@leylahfernandez ??
— Milos Raonic (@milosraonic) September 10, 2021
Does @EmmaRaducanu knows how to loose a set ? And does @leylahfernandez knows how to loose her nerves ? ??♀️ @WTA Answers needed right now … ?
— Timea Bacsinszky (@TimeaOfficial) September 10, 2021
Whoever pencilled in a Fernandez vs Raducanu final when the draw came out… pic.twitter.com/4LWsl268BG
— Laura Robson (@laurarobson5) September 10, 2021
Day 12: Ones to watch
Men’s semifinal day is headlined by the Friday night blockbuster between Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev, where Djokovic’s unbeaten run in 26 Grand Slam matches comes up against Zverev’s 16-match win streak.
Zverev ended Djokovic’s bid for a Golden Grand Slam from a set and a break down in the Olympic semifinals and has ridden that confidence into his latest match-up with Djokovic – who is just two wins from an historic sweep of all four major titles in 2021.
No.2 seed Daniil Medvedev takes on 12th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the first semifinal, with Medvedev looking to reach his second US Open final in the past three years.
Earlier at Arthur Ashe Stadium is the men’s doubles final, while the women’s doubles semifinals – with the most notable names in action being Coco Gauff and Sam Stosur – take place at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Wheelchair action also continues on Friday, with Dylan Alcott kicking off his quest for a Golden Grand Slam against Bryan Barten in the quad wheelchair singles event.