- British tennis sensation Emma Raducanu continued her dominant run at the US Open as she reached the final.
- In beating Greece’s Maria Sakkari, the teenager became the first qualifier in history to reach the final.
- Raducanu hasn’t dropped a single set in the nine matches she has played at the tournament so far.
Emma Raducanu’s fairytale year continued on Thursday as she became the first qualifier to reach the US Open final.
The 18-year-old Brit defeated Greece’s 17th seed Maria Sakkari 6-1, 6-4 to set up a final meeting with fellow teenager Leylah Fernandez.
Raducanu, who is making her first appearance at the US Open, and only her second Grand Slam appearance, is the first British woman to reach a major singles final in 44 years.
After the win, Raducanu said the achievement was “mind blowing.”
“I never thought it would come this early to be in a Grand Slam final.
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“I’m really enjoying my time in New York and that’s showing in my tennis. Tonight, being under the lights on Arthur Ashe Stadium, it’s so iconic and I think I was just thriving in the moment.
“Crazy, cool. To be here in New York for three weeks is just absolutely mind blowing for me,” she told BBC Radio 5 Live.
Raducanu’s run to the final began 16 days ago when she defeated Dutch player Bibiane Schoofs 6-2, 6-2 in the first round of qualifying.
Since then, she has won eight more matches and only once been taken to a tiebreak. At no point in the nine matches she has played at the tournament has she lost a set.
Raducanu started the year ranked 336th in the world, and was 150th before the US Open started.
Her semifinal win means that after the rankings are next update she will be in the world’s top 50 players.
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She will be joined in the final by 19-year-old Leylah Fernandez who defeated Aryna Sabalenka 7-6, 4-6, 6-4 in Thursday’s other semi-final.
Saturday’s final will be the eighth time a Grand Slam final has been contested between teenagers, and the first since Serena Williams and Martina Hingis played in 1999.