Raducanu to face Fernandez in historic all-teen US Open final

Gulf Today Report

British teenager Emma Raducanu, 18, and Canadian Leylah Fernandez, 19, reached the final of the US Open at Flushing Meadows.

It will be the first major final between two teens since the 1999 US Open, when Serena Williams, 17, defeated Martina Hingis, 18.

Raducanu became the first qualifier to reach a grand slam final and the youngest finalist in 17 years, after eliminating Greece's 17th seed Maria Sakkari 6-1 6-4.

"I'm in the final and I can't believe it," said Raducanu.

As for Fernandez, ranked 73rd in the world, eliminated second-ranked Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-4, achieving the third victory over a top-five player in the world, a feat achieved for the last time by American Serena Williams at Wimbledon. 2012.

"I can now say that I have done a good job on the path to achieving my dreams," Fernandez said.

Fernandez defeated Japan's Naomi Osaka, the third seed, in the round of 32, and Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, the fifth seed, in the quarter-finals.

The two players will meet on Saturday at Arthur Ashe Stadium to compete for the first major title in their careers.

Fernandez's father is a former Ecuadorean footballer and her mother is Canadian of Filipino roots, while Raducanu was born in Canada to parents of Romanian and Chinese roots.