Teen upsets gold medalist in US Open 'madness'

Emma Raducanu became the 2nd teen to scope the U.S. Open semifinals successful 2 days, upsetting Olympic golden medalist Belinda Bencic 6-3, 6-4.

The 18-year-old qualifier from Britain joined Leylah Fernandez of Canada, who earned her semifinal spot Tuesday, a time aft her 19th birthday.

Raducanu fell down aboriginal 3-1 but the quarterfinal lucifer turned erstwhile she broke the 11th-seeded Bencic — who had mislaid service lone 3 times successful 4 rounds — to adjacent it astatine 3 during her tally of 5 consecutive games.

The 150th-ranked Raducanu followed Billie Jean King successful 1979 and 2009 champion Kim Clijsters arsenic the lone women extracurricular the apical 100 of the rankings to scope the U.S. Open semifinals.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 08: Emma Raducanu of the United Kingdom celebrates lucifer constituent against Belinda Bencic of Switzerland during her Womens Singles quarterfinals lucifer connected Day Ten of the 2021 US Open astatine the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center connected September 08, 2021 successful the Flushing vicinity of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) (Getty)

Her grounds against opponents ranked successful the apical 50 is present 6-0, though of those opponents, lone Bencic was successful the apical 40.

She wasn't adjacent ranked wrong the apical 350 conscionable 3 months agone earlier a tally to the 4th circular of Wimbledon. Raducanu volition play No. 4 Karolina Pliskova oregon 17th-seeded Maria Sakkari successful the semifinals.

"Playing Belinda, she is specified a large opponent," Raducanu said aft the match.

"Her shot velocity decidedly caught maine disconnected guard. She hits the shot truthful hard, and I had to set and adapt. I'm conscionable truthful blessed to travel through."

Raducanu (L) of the United Kingdom meets astatine the nett aft defeating Belinda Bencic (R) of Switzerland during her Womens Singles quarterfinals lucifer connected Day Ten of the 2021 US Open astatine the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center connected September 08, 2021 successful the Flushing vicinity of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) (Getty)

The teen thanked her "absolutely astonishing team", pointing to her coaching unit successful New York and her household backmost successful the United Kingdom.

"I'm definite they were watching. I anticipation they were," she added.

"I privation you could beryllium present with me. But honestly, everything we've been moving for, it showed here. So convey you truthful much."

During her connected tribunal interview, Raducanu was asked whether Fernandez's immense tally astatine Flushing Meadows made her judge successful herself adjacent more.

"Yeah. To person truthful galore young players here, doing truthful well, it conscionable shows however beardown the adjacent procreation is," she replied.

"Leylah is doing incredibly well. She's truly nice, she was handing retired cupcakes for her 19th birthday.

"Everyone's connected their trajectory. I'm conscionable here, taking attraction of what I tin control, and it's my travel astatine the extremity of the day."

Raducanu volition look the victor of today's aboriginal quarterfinal betwixt 4th effect Karolina Pliskova and 17th effect Maria Sakkari.

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