Teenagers Raducanu, Fernandez to meet in US Open final

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Wilson Blade 9

What a final match-up in New York! The 2021 US Open title will be taken by a young, inexperienced player on a meteoric rise, either Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez.

Emma Raducanu of Great Britain in action during the fourth round at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships Grand Slam tennis tournament (Emma Raducanu of Great Britain in action during the fourth round at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships Grand Slam tennis tournament

British teenager Emma Raducanu saved all seven break points she faced against Maria Sakkari of Greece, as her dominance in a 6-1 6-4 victory over the 17th seed almost defied belief. All those seven break points Raducanu faced in the first three games, as she established a 3-0 lead.

Raducanu is the first qualifier to reach a Grand Slam women’s singles final in the Open Era and only the fourth British woman in the Open Era to appear in the major final, after Jones, Wade and Barker.

The 18-year-old Raducanu was ranked outside the Top 350 as recently as the beginning of June, while she entered the US Open ranked No.150. The final appearance is projected to take her to No.32, the title would move her to No.24. On Monday, Raducanu will definitely become the new British No.1, ending Johanna Konta’s 310-week reign.

Canadian teenager Leylah Fernandez recorded the third Top 5 win of the tournament as she won a tense semifinal against second seed Aryna Sabalenka, 7-6(3) 4-6 6-4.

The world No.73 Fernandez showed great resilience against this season’s match-win leader. In the first set, the 19-year-old recovering from an early break and then again from an early minibreak in the tiebreak. In the third set, she wasn’t phased as Sabalenka quickly wiped out a break and went from 2-4 to 4-4.

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