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Yes, the US Open lost a lot of power when Naomi Osaka and Ashleigh Barty left earlier in the event.
But this void did not last long. Emma Raducanu, 18, ranked No.150, and Leylah Fernandez, 19, who is No.73 in the world, stepped up to Emma. And while their talent has never been questioned, the idea of them reaching the bottom four at one of the biggest events on the calendar must feel like a dream.
“I imagined myself playing in every tournament, every Grand Slam, on the biggest stage,” Fernandez said after the quarter-finals. “When I was younger, since I was using Justine Henin as a good example, I imagined myself playing against her. I also imagined myself playing against Serena and Venus, and the last few years playing against Osaka in a big tournament.
“When I was younger I always saw myself in a big stadium in front of so many people and having fun on the pitch.”
Will the teenagers be able to continue playing at the level they have been for almost two weeks in New York? What adjustments do they need to make against their more established opponents, No.17 Maria Sakkari and No.2 Aryna Sabalenka?
And most urgently, who will qualify for the final of the US Open on Saturday to try for the title? Our team breaks it down.
# 17 Maria Sakkari vs. Emma Raducanu
Key for Sakkari: be bold, be courageous
Maria Sakkari is known for her warlike qualities, but her fighting spirit is as practical as it is innate, leading to more energetic and efficient play. Sakkari knows bravery is the key to getting her through the biggest games.
“[Bravery] is something i worked with [coach Tom Hill] since the end of last year, ”Sakkari said on Monday. But after an average hard-court swing leading up to the US Open, Sakkari said she “lost my identity, that’s what I called her. I got lost, part of myself.
“I found a way to come back and feel again what I felt there today. It’s just a process in practice and everything that has helped me be more courageous.
At 26, Sakkari is self-confident and knows what she needs to do to be successful. This was evident in her late-night 3-hour 30-minute win over Bianca Andreescu, which ended after 2 a.m. on Tuesday morning in a match in which she knocked out more winners than the former World Cup champion. ‘US Open (46 to 39).
“I was more courageous after a certain point in the game and then I increased my energy level a bit,” Sakkari said after the victory. “I said, ‘Maria, if you want to win this game, you have to go.’… I just wanted to be braver, and that’s what I did.
Few players are as quick and strong on defense as Sakkari, but when she’s more daring on big occasions, that’s when her game ramps up. The pattern continued with her victory over Karolina Pliskova in the quarter-finals. At one point, Sakkari captured 22 consecutive points on her serve and in total, she earned a stunning 92% of points behind her first serve.
With this mentality, Sakkari entered his second Grand Slam semi-final of the season. She will have to maintain this state of mind against her opponent in the free semi-final, Emma Raducanu. But Sakkari has learned exactly what kind of fighter she needs to be, and if she performs a brave game, she has a great chance for a first Grand Slam final. – Jason juzwiak
Key for Raducanu: keep your head down
A series of successful results can build momentum – and the conviction, the budding confidence that goes with it. On Wednesday, Raducanu simply had more against reigning gold medalist Belinda Bencic. Down 1-3, Raducanu rallied to win 11 of 15 games and landed in the semifinals against No.17 Maria Sakkari.
The phenomenon of Great Britain has shaken statisticians. The best: She is the first qualifier of both sexes to reach the semi-finals of the US Open in the era of the Open, and only the fourth to reach a semi-final of the Grand Slam.
“This is the first time I hear today that I was the first qualifier to make the semi-finals,” Raducanu told reporters. “Before that, I had no idea. Yeah, I’m not here to chase records right now. I just pay attention to what I can do now and in the game to come.
Keep in mind that this is only her fourth tour-level main draw – and Bencic was the first WTA Top 40 player she has ever faced. And one way or another, Raducanu won all 16 sets she played, with just one (7-5 in qualifying, against Mariam Bolkvadze) even being slightly disturbing.
So, for Raducanu, this amazing and unexpected semi-final demands more of the same. Keep your head down, focus on every point and keep playing with that confidence you have gained around you as one of England’s great medieval fortresses.
“I didn’t expect to be here at all,” Raducanu said. I mean, I think my flights were booked at the end of qualifying so that’s a nice problem to have. Out there on the pitch today, I was saying to myself, ‘This might be the last time you play Ashe, so you might as well go out there and enjoy it all.’ ”
Keep that momentum going. – Greg Garber
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