The breeze of freshness continues to blow at the US Open: after 19-year-old Canadian Leylah Fernandez (she also passed through the Petits As in 2016) the day before, Briton Emma Raducanu, 18, also qualified for the semi-finals yesterday, shift day for Novak Djokovic.
The Serbian, who faces the Italian Matteo Berrettini (8th) in the night session, is only three victories away from a successful calendar Grand Slam, which has not happened since Rod Laver in 1969. If there is succeeds, the world No.1 will bring his record for major titles to 21, one better than Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, both absent in New York due to injuries.
Issue des qualifications
However, history is not only moving for “Nole” at Flushing Meadows, since Emma Raducanu (150th) created a big sensation, by becoming the very first player from qualifying to qualify for the last four of the tournament. American, at the expense of Belinda Bencic (12th world), 6-3, 6-4.
The fact is unheard of at the US Open, but it is also very rare in other Majors, as the young woman is only the fourth qualifier to reach this stage, after the Australian Christine Matison Dorey in Melbourne in 1978. , the American Alexandra Stevenson at Wimbledon in 1999 and the Argentine Nadia Podoroska last year at Roland Garros.
No lost set
Above all, the one who tries to become the first Briton since Virginia Wade at Wimbledon in 1977 to win a Grand Slam, could become the first qualified in the history of women’s tennis to go to the end of such a tournament, if she continues to do so. rhythm.
Still unknown until Wimbledon, where she reached the round of 16 for her debut in a major tournament, Raducanu wins everything in her time at Flushing Meadows where she spent each of her turns without losing a set.
On Wednesday, on the Arthur Ashe, she passed a big test, she who had so far never faced an opponent in the Top 40. Bencic, much better ranked, was in this respect a favorite. Especially since she had already reached the semi-finals at the US Open in 2019 and was also in an excellent pass since her gold medal in Tokyo. But the 24-year-old Swiss came across an opponent in a state of grace and in no way disturbed by the stakes.
After conceding her entry serve, Raducanu, then down 3-1, started to accelerate, and from break to break, she stacked five consecutive games, to pocket the first set. Without giving the impression of forcing.
“I had to adapt and quickly adjust after a complicated start. It was a really difficult game. I’m really happy to have come out of it”, she commented soberly at the microphone, all smiles. .
The Briton then managed to erase three break points, on her first throw-in of the second set, relying on a good first ball (6 aces). Then she let go again (23 winners), to break in the fifth game, while committing a minimum of direct errors (12) unlike her rival (21 including 5 double faults).
Future unpublished winner at the US Open
A qualification while mastering, in 1h21, which leads to a semi-final to oppose Thursday to Karolina Pliskova (4th) or Maria Sakkari (18th). The Czech is the only one still in contention to have already played a major final, this summer at Wimbledon and in 2016 at the US Open, both lost.
The other poster of the last four will pit another teenager, Leylah Fernandez, also in full light since she took out Naomi Osaka in the 3rd round then Elina Svitolina (5th) in the quarter, who will be opposed to Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka , 2nd in the world, whose best Grand Slam result is a semi-final, at Wimbledon in July.
Whoever lifts the trophy on Sunday will be an all-time winner at the US Open.
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