WHAT HAPPENED: Teen darling Emma Raducanu’s summer of dreams continued on Wednesday, as the unseeded qualifier beat Belinda Bencic, the gold medalist and No. 12 seed from Switzerland, in the 2021 US Open quarterfinals on Wednesday. The British youngster advanced to the semifinals of a major for the first time, 6-3, 6-4.
Raducanu, ranked just No. 150, is the only qualifier in history—man or woman—to advance to semifinals of the US Open.
Bencic, 24, opened the match dictating play and taking the ball early off both wings, jumping out to an early lead as Raducanu appeared nervous in her first major quarterfinal.
Yet the 18-year-old Brit quickly steadied herself, found her game and got into the match, breaking back to get even at 3-3. Raducanu seized the lead with two consecutive forehand winners down the line, breaking Bencic for 5-3. The Brit then confidently held serve to take the opening set.
In the second set, Raducanu began cracking return-of-serve winners, visibly frustrating the more experienced Bencic. The British teen ripped a forehand service-return down the line to capture the lead and consolidated for a 4-2 lead. Raducanu, who only recently finished her A levels (the equivalent of high school in the UK) continued to play inspired tennis while remaining very poised and mature on court.
Bencic finally ventured to net deep in the set, hitting a couple of drop shots and a swinging volley to briefly stop the bleeding.
“[Bencic’s] ball speed definitely caught me off guard,” said Raducanu on court after her win. “She hits the ball so hard, so I had to try to adjust and adapt.”
“It was a really tough match for me.”
Raducanu served for the match at 5-4. Though the Swiss secured a quick 0-30 advantage in a nervous opening for the Brit, Raducanu smacked an ace wide to set up match point.
“It was love-30 in my last couple service games,” Raducanu said. “So to hold was pretty big. I was just trying to focus on what I can control. My serve. Slamming first serves.”
The Brit dropped her racquet and put her hands on her head in disbelief as Bencic netted a forehand to give Raducanu the match.
“I’ve got an absolutely amazing support team here with me. And I also have a team back home, we’ve been staying in contact,” said Raducanu. “They couldn’t be here but I’m sure they were watching. I hope.”
No worries, Emma. Everyone is watching.
WHAT IT MEANS: The lithe, athletic Brit first drew notice by reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon, her home major, as a wild card earlier this summer.
Entering her first major semifinal in only her second try, Raducanu will face the winner of the Czech Karolina Pliskova and Maria Sakkari of Greece. Raducanu is the second teen into the semifinals of the 2021 US Open, following Canada’s Leylah Fernandez.
Raducanu had won all her matches against Top 50 players, but this was her first match against a Top 20 player (and Bencic, now No. 12, has been as high as No. 4 in the rankings, in 2020). Raducanu became the lowest-ranked player in history to make the semifinals at the US Open (two players, Kim Clijsters in 2009 and Billie Jean King in 1979, were unranked).
Raducanu’s ranking of No. 150—the teen was No. 338 prior to Wimbledon—will skyrocket after her maiden run to a major semifinal.
Bencic, 24, has won 13 of her past 14 matches. A former No. 4 player in the world, the Swiss is back to playing Top-10 ball.
MATCH POINT: Both players came into the quarterfinal without having surrendered a set. Raducanu in fact had not lost a set in seven matches, including the three she played in qualifiers, and the Brit had lost the fewest games in the main draw (15) of any woman remaining. Raducanu has now not lost a set in eight matches.
