Leylah Fernandez-Emma Raducanu set up all teen US Open women’s final
Leylah Fernandez continued her stellar run by reaching the finals of the US Open tennis tournament just days after her 19th birthday. While Britan’s Emma Raducanu became the first player ever (male or female) to reach the finals of the US Open while playing in the qualifiers. Her feat is even more impressive given that fact that she is yet to drop a set.
Canada’s unseeded Fernandez defeated second seed Aryna Sabalenka 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4 in an interesting match in the semi-finals. She has reached the final of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time.
She will face 18-year-old Emma Raducanu of Britain in the final, who defeated 17th seed Maria Sakari of Greece 6-1, 6-4. Raducanu has also reached the final of a Grand Slam for the first time.
Fernandez had lost three games initially but returned to win the set in a tie-breaker. Sabalenka made the match of it by winning the second set but it did not affect Fernandez and the Canadian made a strong move towards the title by winning the third set.
Fernandez, ranked 73rd in the world, registered a three-set win against the seeded players in his fourth match in a row. She defeated 2018 and 2020 champion third seed Naomi Osaka, 2016 champion 16th seed Angelique Kerber and then fifth seed Elina Svitolina and now Sabalenka on her way to the final.
Second youngest player in the world to reach a Grand Slam final
Emma Raducanu has become the second youngest player in the world to reach a Grand Slam final. Maria Sharapova holds the record for the youngest to reach the final of a Grand Slam. She reached the final of Wimbledon in 2004 when she was 17 years old.
Raducanu will clash with Laylah in the final
Leylah will now face Emma Raducanu in the US Open women’s singles. Both players have reached the finals of the US Open for the first time. For the second time at the US Open in the last three years, a Canadian female player will play in the final, before that in 2019, Canada’s Bianca Andreescu won the US Open title.
