TEENAGE star Emma Raducanu continued to dazzle at Flushing Meadows, by reaching the semi-finals of the US Open, following the British talent’s straight sets win over Swiss 11th seed, Belinda Bencic. Raducanu will join fellow teenager Leylah Fernandez in the semi-final, and became the first qualifier to reach the US Open semi-final since 1968, and also only the third player outside the Top 100 to achieve the feat.

Already Raducanu has jumped 99 places from 150th in the world to 51st, becoming the top ranked Brit in the process. She achieved the ranking by winning 6-3 6-4 over Bencic in 82 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium. The Brit hit 23 winners to Bencic’s 19, and only had 12 unforced errors, whilst also winning 57 per cent of her second serve points, and breaking three times to one. She covered more ground than the in-form Swiss talent and served six aces to one, with only two double faults to five to advance through to the semi-finals.

“[Bencic’s] ball speed definitely caught me off guard,” Raducanu said post match. “She hits the ball so hard, so I had to try to adjust and adapt. “It was a really tough match for me.”

The British teenager caught everyone’s attention at her home Grand Slam in Wimbledon earlier this year, where she reached a third round before having to retire, but not before defeating 2019 Roland Garros runner-up Marketa Vondrousova in straight sets in the Round of 64. She reached the final of the Chicago Challenger in the lead-up to the US Open, and has now blitzed her way past multiple Top 50 players – with Bencic being the best win of her career coming off a Gold Medal in Tokyo – to book a clash with 17th seed Maria Sakkari.

“I’ve got an absolutely amazing support team here with me. And I also have a team back home, we’ve been staying in contact,” Raducanu said. “They couldn’t be here but I’m sure they were watching. I hope.”

In the other quarter final played, Sakkari became the first ever Greek woman into a US Open semi-final after toppling fourth seed Karolina Pliskova. Sakkari served a couple of less aces (4-6) during the 82-minute win, and only served at 53 per cent, but only dropped a total of eight points on serve for the entire match. Across the first set and into early in the second, Sakkari won 22 consecutive points on serve, producing 23 winners for only 12 unforced errors, whilst the fourth seed had 14 and 20 respectively. Sakkari also won 11 of her 12 net points, and broke twice, whilst Pliskova was unable to create a break point opportunity.

“I’m impressed,” Sakkari said post-match on her 22 consecutive points. “I trusted my serve, but now I’m going to trust it even more.”

Sakkari is the oldest player left in the US Open at just 26-years-old. All four players are yet to win a Grand Slam, with the Greek talent having reached a semi-final at Roland Garros earlier this year. It was the first time she had progressed past the fourth round at a major, and whilst first round (Australian Open) and second round (Wimbledon) exits were disappointing, Sakkari now has a chance to make history as the more experienced player left in contention.

“I think, first of all, it’s great for our sport,” Sakkari said of the fact that two teenagers (Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez) have reached the US Open women’s singles semifinals in the same year for the first time since 2009. “Two young girlsーnot two, we have Coco [Gauff], we have many young girls playing right now. Emma, she’s having a great run, and Leylah as well, but I trust myself, I trust my game, and I believe a lot in myself.”

US OPEN QUARTER FINALS RESULTS:

[17] Maria Sakkari (GRE) defeated [4] Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 6-4 6-4
[Q] Emma Raducanu (GBR) defeated [11] Belinda Bencic (SUI) 6-3 6-4

Picture credit: Pete Staples/USTA