The biggest stories of this women’s tournament have been the shocking runs of 18-year-old Emma Raducanu and 19-year-old Leylah Fernandez. Raducanu is the first qualifier to ever reach the semifinals of the US Open, and has not dropped a set through three matches in qualifying and five matches in the main draw. Fernandez has won back-to-back-to-back three-setters against three of the sport’s top players: Naomi Osaka, Angelique Kerber, and Elina Svitolina.
On Thursday evening in New York, these new stars will face two recent Major semifinalists. Aryna Sabalenka was two games from advancing to the final at Wimbledon, while Maria Sakkari was one point from advancing to the final of Roland Garros. Are these more-established players ready to take that next step, or will they tighten up as others have against these phenomenal teenagers?
Aryna Sabalenka (2) vs. Leylah Fernandez – 7:00pm on Arthur Ashe Stadium
Since dropping a set in her opening round match, Sabalenka has simply cruised to this semifinal, averaging only five games lost per match in her last four wins. Normally, drawing an inexperienced semifinal opponent who had never been beyond the third round of a Slam would feel like a blessing. But Fernandez has become the giant killer in this event, defeating two former champions and the reigning Olympic bronze medalist. How will her aggressive style, where she hugs the baseline and uses her lefty-ness to create dynamic angles, match up against the ferocious power of Sabalenka? I’ve been doubting Leylah’s ability to maintain her incredible level for several rounds now, and she has continually proven me wrong. The New York crowd has fallen in love with her, and their energy has inspired her play. And Sabalenka will feel plenty of pressure as the favorite, and as a player who is yet to reach a Major final. However, Aryna’s pace of shot won’t allow Leylah as much time to be aggressive while standing inside the baseline. That should enable Sabalenka to dictate play, and to become a 2021 US Open finalist.
Maria Sakkari (17) vs. Emma Raducanu (Q) – Last on Arthur Ashe Stadium
If a teenager is going to become a finalist, Emma may be the more likely candidate. Despite a few nervy starts this past week, she has quickly rebounded to scorch the competition. And she has participated in significantly less-taxing matches than Fernandez, allowing her opponents less than five games per match, going all the way back to qualifying. As Ben Rothenberg highlighted on Twitter, Raducanu and Sakkari hit exactly the same amount of winners (23) and unforced errors (12) in their quarterfinals on Wednesday. However, Sakkari has been simply clobbering her groundstrokes, and serving excellently. In her matches against big-serving Czechs Petra Kvitova and Karolina Pliskova, she won a combined 49 of 54 first serve points (91%). However, against a much better returner in Bianca Andreescu, that dramatically decreased to 52 of 81 first serve points (64%). Sakkari’s serving prowess should be similarly challenged by Raducanu, who will get a lot more serves back than Kvitova or Pliskova. And the biggest factor in this match will be who better handles the moment. Like Aryna, Maria will know she’s expected to win, and she’ll also remember how she blinked at the finish line in Paris. Away from all the scrutiny of the British press which she had to endure at Wimbledon, Emma has been thriving in New York, playing freely and with the composure of a player beyond her years. If Raducanu can continue to do that on Thursday night, she could become the most improbable US Open finalist of all-time.
Other Notable Matches on Thursday:
Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury (4) vs. Steve Johnson and Sam Querrey – Ram and Salisbury saved four match points in the quarterfinals, eventually defeating Australia’s Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell 7-6(7), 6-7(6), 7-6(10). Prior to this event, Johnson and Querrey hadn’t won a match as a team since the 2020 Australian Open.
Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares (7) vs. John Peers and Filip Polasek (8) – Murray and Soares took out Cincinnati champions Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in the last round, while Peers and Polasek eliminated French Open champs Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert.
Thursday’s full Order of Play is here.
