US Open 2021: Maria Sakkari follows Emma Raducanu into the semifinals
Maria Sakkari has reached the semifinals at the US Open for the first time. The Greek defeated Karolina Pliskova 6: 4 and 6: 4 and will play against the British surprise woman Emma Raducanu on Thursday evening (local time).
by SID
last edit:
Sep 09, 2021, 03:02 am
High starter Emma Raducanu is unstoppable at the US Open. The 18-year-old Briton impressively defeated Olympic champion Belinda Bencic in the quarter-finals. Raducanu beat the six-year-old Swiss woman 6: 3, 6: 4 on Wednesday without any nerves and reached the round of the last four in a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in her career.
Raducanu, 150th in the WTA ranking, is the first to qualify in the semifinals in New York and only the third athlete after Billie Jean King in 1979 and Kim Clijsters in 2009 to make it so far as a player beyond the top 100. "I had to adjust a bit after the match started and I'm just happy that I made it through," said Raducanu.
In the round of the best four, she expects a duel with Maria Sakkari from Greece, who knocked out the former world number one Karolina Pliskova 6: 4, 6: 4 and now reached the second major semifinals of her career in New York after the French Open. The 19-year-old Canadian Leylah Fernandez and Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus are fighting for the second final ticket. Angelique Kerber was the last German participant to fail at Fernandez in the round of 16.
Raducanu caused a sensation for the first time at Wimbledon this summer. In the lawn classic, she made her major debut straight into the round of 16 and then had to give up because of breathing problems.
Here is the single tableau at the US Open
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