Great Britain’s Emma Raducanu has become the first qualifier in history to make a Grand Slam final, with a dominant semi-final win at the US Open.
Raducanu was too good for 17th seed Maria Sakkari, 6-1, 6-4 in just 84 minutes.
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“Absolutely stunning,” said Patrick McEnroe on ESPN.
She’ll now play Canadian Leylah Fernandez in the final, the first time two teenagers have contested a major final since Serena Williams played Martina Hingis at the 1999 US Open.
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Raducanu hasn’t dropped a set in the nine matches she’s played at the tournament to date, three in qualifying and six in the main draw.
“I’m in the final and I can’t actually believe it,” she said after the match.
She raced out to a 5-0 lead in the first set, setting the tone for the match from which Sakkari, in her second major semi-final of 2021, couldn’t recover.
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Sakkari gifted Raducanu that lead, with unforced errors on each of the break points, including a double fault. Raducanu was far from perfect herself, having to save seven break points in the first set.
The 18-year-old, who also reached the fourth round at Wimbledon this year, downplayed any pressure ahead of the final.
She’s the youngest Grand Slam finalist since a 17-year-old Maria Sharapova won Wimbledon in 2004, but was quick to claim underdog status for Sunday morning’s final (AEST).
“Is there any expectation? I’m a qualifier, so technically on paper, there’s no pressure on me,” she said.
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