British teenage phenom Emma Raducanu is on the verge of setting up one the youngest US Open women’s finals in history.
The second women’s singles semi-final is underway, and British teenager Emma Raducanu is one set away from completing another upset at Flushing Meadows.
The 18-year-old phenom is taking on Greece’s Maria Sakkari at Arthur Ashe Stadium, with both players hunting for a spot in the US Open final.
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Neither has qualified beyond the semi-finals of a grand slam tournament before.
Earlier today, Canadian teenager Leylah Annie Fernandez defeated world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka 7-6 4-6 6-4 in a huge boilover.
If Raducanu manages to defeat Sakkari, two teenagers will be fighting for the US Open crown on Sunday morning.
How the match unfolded
Raducanu took an early lead in the semi-final, breaking serve to go ahead 2-0 in the first set.
The young Brit then saved three break points to remain a two games ahead of her Greek opponent.
Sakkari gifted her opponent yet another break with a double fault as Raducanu took a commanding 4-0 lead in the opening set.
Sakkari finally managed to hold serve to avoid the dreaded bagel, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Raducanu wrapping up the first set in just 36 minutes.
The opening two games of the second set remained on serve before Raducanu broke serve once again to stamp her authority of the contest.
Sakkari survived another break point soon after to keep the match alive, but she still needed a miracle to avoid a straight sets defeat.
Raducanu vs Sakkari live score: 6-1 4-2
Earlier this week, 150th-ranked Raducanu became the first US Open qualifier to reach the last four.
“I’ve known Leylah since we were juniors, in Under-12s,” Raducanu said.
“We played Orange Bowl and all of those tournaments. I played her in Junior Wimbledon, actually.
“The fact we’re both in the semi-finals of the US Open after having played each other from the early days, it’s very cool to see just how far we have come. She’s a really cool person.”
Raducanu has not dropped a set at the US Open, and is trying to become the first British woman to win a grand slam title since Virginia Wade achieved the feat at Wimbledon in 1977.
“To have so many young players here doing so well, it shows how strong the next generation is,” Raducanu said.
“There’s definitely an element of being young and free – there’s a quality to that, being free swinging and loose.”
– with AFP
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