Emma Raducanu makes US Open history as first women’s qualifier to advance to the semifinals in Open era

An unexpected opponent has emerged within the women’s singles draw at this year’s US Open, as Britain’s 18-year-old Emma Raducanu has scored an interesting run through the tournament. A run that continued on Wednesday with the Olympic champion’s troubles and a historic milestone within the Open.

Just two months after the beginning of her slam draw at Wimbledon, Emma Raducanu reached the semifinals of the US Open and won a shocking victory over Belinda Bangkok on Wednesday. Raducanu defeated world number 11 and 2020 Olympic gold medalist Bencic 6–3, 6–4.

Ahhh final four feeling!! I can’t believe it. 😳
Thank you all, see you out there tomorrow under the lights🌃 pic.twitter.com/AkHshFgrxH

- Emma Raducanu (@EmmaRaducanu) September 8, 2021

With her victory, Raducanu has now become the primary female qualifier to succeed in the US Open semifinals within the Open Era (since 1968). She is that the fourth female qualifier to succeed in the semifinals of the slam event overall.

“It was 0–30 in my last two service games therefore the holding was large enough, it had been one point at a time, and that I was trying to specialize in what I controlled,” Raducanu told reporters after the match. I can.” “Belinda was getting to fight to the top, but I’m glad she got through.”

In addition to creating history as a women’s qualifier, Raducanu is merely the third woman out of the world’s top 100 to succeed in the semifinals of the US Open. Raducanu joins Billy Jane King (1979) and Kim Clijsters (2009), who later won the tournament.

With Raducanu ‘s victory, the teenagers will play a task in both Thursday’s semi-finals, as Canada’s 19-year-old Leylah Fernandez faces №2 seed Aryna Sabalenka within the second semi-final. Raducanu will face the winner of the quarter-final match between Maria Sakkari and Karolina Pliskova.

Originally published at https://21sportsnews.com on September 9, 2021.