US Open '21 - Teen player continues to semi-finals

Leylah Fernandez Keeps Hot Streak Going

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ defeated ELINA SVITOLINA 6-3, 3-6, 7-6

Canadian teen sensation, Leylah Fernandez has taken her 3rd seeded scalp as she has surged into the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows.

The day after she celebrated her 19th birthday, the youngster took care of her more decorated opponent, Elina Svitolina in 3 sets, showing nerves of steel to win a 3rd set tie-breaker.

Using the raucous crowd to her advantage, the teenager raced out of the blocks and had the first set wrapped up 6-3 before the world number 5 could get a handle on proceedings.

Not to be denied, Svitoina roared back in top contention in the second set. The Ukrainian superstar broke the teenager twice to hold a dominant 5-1 lead. Fernandez broke back, however, making her work for the set before Svitolina wrapped it up 6-3.

Showing a temperament beyond his years though, Fernandez didn't let the second set rattle her. She traded breaks with Svitolina before eventually winning the final set tie break. If there was a roof on Arthur Ashe Stadium it would have blown off from the crowd reaction as Leylah Fernandez reached her first-ever grand slam semi-final. She acknowledged the crowd in her post-match interview saying -

"I obviously have no idea what I'm feeling right now. I was so nervous. I was trying to do what my coach told me to do. Thanks to you, I was able to push through today,"

The victory set her up for a semi-final clash with Belarussian world number two Aryna Sabalenka who made light work of Barbora Krejcikova 6-1, 6-4 in her quarter-final.

Tomorrow sees British teenager Emma Raducanu attempt to match her fellow teenagers' feats by reaching the semi-final also.