Battle Of The Tennis Teens: Young Pretenders From UK And Canada Will Fight It Out For US Open Title
09:35 GMT 10.09.2021 (Updated: 15:15 GMT 28.05.2023)
© REUTERS / Robert Deutsch / Emma Raducanu
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Emma Raducanu, who was ranked 150th at the beginning of the US Open, has made it through to the final. She will meet fellow teenager Layla Fernandez in Saturday’s final.
Two previously unknown teenagers have made it through to the final of the US Open women’s tournament after a string of shocks.
Britain’s Emma Raducanu, 18, will meet Layla Fernandez, 19, in the final after both won their semifinals on Thursday, 9 September.
Leylah Fernandez vs Emma Raducanu. Wow.
— Casey Conway (@caseyconway_) September 10, 2021
The most unlikely slam final of all time? #USOpen
If Raducanu wins she would be the first British woman for 44 years to win a Grand Slam - Virginia Wade won Wimbledon in 1977.
Raducanu beat Greece’s Maria Sakkari 6-1-, 6-4 and Fernandez beat Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus.
Fernandez beat the defending champion and world number one, Naomi Osaka, in the opening round while Serena Williams, who is still chasing her 24th grand slam title, pulled out of the tournament with injury.
Pure happiness under the lights in New York 🌃🗽❤️ pic.twitter.com/j5721WEEaL
— Emma Raducanu (@EmmaRaducanu) September 10, 2021
Raducanu - who has a Romanian father and a Chinese mother - was born in Toronto, Canada, but moved to England with her family when she was two.
She got to the fourth round of Wimbledon this year - before quitting against Ajla Tomljanovic due to nerves - and has showed she is a star of the future at Flushing Meadows in the last fortnight.
Growing up she said her inspiration was China’s Li Na, who won two Grand Slam tournaments.
After defeating Sakkari, Raducanu said: "I never really realised that I would take tennis as a career until maybe two years ago. I always have my education as a backup. I was doing it alongside my tennis. I had options. I still do. But obviously I'm a 100 percent in my tennis now. I always had dreams of playing in Grand Slams but I just didn't know when they would come. To come this early, at this point in my career, I've only really been on tour for a month, two months since Wimbledon. It's pretty crazy to me.”
