NEW YORK: Briton Emma Raducanu became the first qualifier to reach the U.S. Open final on Friday by beating Greece’s Maria Sakkari 6-1, 6-4 on Arthur Ashe stadium.
With British tennis royalty Tim Henman and Virginia Wade looking on from the stands, Raducanu fended off seven break points across her first two service games and capitalised on a trio of double faults from Sakkari on the way to a 5-0 lead in the first set.
Down a break in the second set, Sakkari then fought off five break points in a near 10-minute seventh game but the 18-year-old Raducanu would not be denied and went on to seal the match to set up a final against fellow teen Leylah Fernandez of Canada.
“The time here in New York has gone so fast,“ she said. “I can’t actually believe it.” – Reuters
