Emma Raducanu won her maiden grand slam as she beat Leylah Fernandez in the final of the US Open Cup. . The 18-year-old beat Leylah Fernandez 6-4 and 6-3 to lift the US Open Cup.
Emma also became the first-ever qualifier to win a grand slam. She is the first British woman to win a grand slam since Virginia Wade in 1977. Amazingly, she achieved this feat without dropping a set as she won all of her 20 sets.
The British star arrived at the final of the hardcourt grand slam beating top players in the game. She defeated the likes of Maria Sakkari and Belinda Bencic without losing a single set.
Coming into the tournament, Emma Raducanu was 150th in the rankings. Meanwhile, Leylah, a year older than Emma, was 73rd in the rankings. This was just the second grand slam appearance for the teenager. She previously played in the Wimbledon two months ago.
After a back and forth early exchange, Raducanu came out the victor in the first set. She won the first set 6-4 and was leading the second set 5-3 when she had to take a medical break as she was bleeding. Fernandez was clearly displeased as the momentum she generated was halted. As the match resumed, Raducanu answered Fernandez’s breakpoint as she saved the breakpoint on the front foot with an overhead winner at the top of her reach, then she drilled a backhand down the line to bring up match point. Emma then served it out with an ace.
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When Raducanu arrived in New York three weeks ago, her flights were booked for the end of the qualifying week because a loss in any round would have been a totally normal result. Yet here she is having won it all.
