US Open 2021 – Improbable, exciting, open: the Fernandez-Raducanu final, fireworks of a crazy fortnight – Eurosport FR

The context

On the left: Leylah Annie Fernandez, 19 for five days, 73rd player in the world. On the right, Emma Raducanu 18 years old, soon 19 years old, on November 13, 150th in the world. So much for the presentations of the most improbable Grand Slam poster for more than twenty years for the women’s circuit. It was necessary to go back to another time, in 1999, to see two “teenagers”, understand here two players who have not yet celebrated their 20 years, face each other in the final of a major tournament. It was already at the US Open, the tournament of all possibilities. Serena Williams, 17, had beaten another prodigy, Martina Hingis, 18. The American had won the first of her 23 Grand Slam titles.

As New York commemorates twenty years of the World Trade Center attacks and all of the events of September 11, 2001, a tragedy the two players never experienced, both being born in 2002, this final has a historical and symbolic context that cannot be overlooked. As it has always done for twenty years, sport will therefore also be part of this special day for the United States. Fernandez and Raducanu, who share one thing in common, being both born in Canada, will offer a last sporting thrill to the public of Flushing Meadows. For two weeks for one and three weeks for Raducanu, after qualifying, the two players enchanted New York with their tennis, their freshness, and above all their desire to win. Nothing seemed to be able to stop the two women, especially not the best in the world, either overthrown or swept away with the manner.

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Seeing Fernandez go far in a Grand Slam was more or less expected, because the Canadian had made a name for herself among the juniors. His creative left-handed tennis, and his very strong character, foreshadowed that his explosion at the highest level was only a matter of time. Professional since 2017, she had eaten her black bread in Grand Slam over the past two years, with the best result being a 3rd round at Roland Garros 2020, the one played in the fall in the cold Parisian. After this express learning, Fernandez will try to win his first Grail. If it is difficult to predict the future, especially in tennis, difficult to say that we will not see her again on the last day of the tournament. When you have confidence in yourself, anything is possible.

For Raducanu, seeing her in the Grand Slam final is an even bigger surprise given her very limited experience at the highest level. Except that in the UK, many knew she was going to pick up the torch in British women’s tennis very quickly. Because Raducanu is a meteorite. Brooded by the British Tennis Federation, even over-protected, by it and her parents, the right-hander had been in the starting blocks for several months. It was enough to find the right moment to release it in the deep end, something done at Wimbledon two months ago.

After suffering from an anxiety attack in London, where she had already reached the 4th round, the Briton quickly forgot about this little incident to go on a commando mission to the United States for five weeks. The goal was clear: to break everything in Big Apple. In the city that never sleeps, it was even stronger than at Wimbly when it came out of qualifying, before devouring all its opponents in a big table. No one had ever done such a Grand Slam journey. His record is impressive: nine games, nine wins, no set lost. In Grand Slam, it’s two tournaments played, two second weeks and a status of youngest finalist in Grand Slam since Maria Sharapova at Wimbledon 2004. Fernandez-Raducanu, here is the triumphant youth, the one who will dominate the tennis of tomorrow.

Their journeys

Leylah fernandez

1st round: beats Konjuh (7-6, 6-2)
2nd round: beats Kanepi (7-5, 7-5)
3rd round: beats Osaka (5-7, 7-6, 6-4)
Round of 16: beats Angelique Kerber (4-6, 7-6, 6-2)
1/4 final: beats Elina Svitolina (6-3, 3-6, 7-6)
1/2 final: beats Aryna Sabalenka (7-6, 4-6, 6-4)

Emma Raducanu

1st qualifying round: beats Bibiane Schoofs (6-1, 6-2)
2nd qualifying round: beats Mariam Bolkvadze (6-3, 7-5)
3rd qualifying round: beats Mayar Sherif (6-1, 6-4)

1st round: beats Stephanie Vogele (6-2, 6-3)
2nd round: beats Zhang Shuai (6-2, 6-4)
3rd round: beats Sarah Sorribes Tormo (6-0, 6-1)
Round of 16: beats Shelby Rogers (6-2, 6-1)
1/4 final: beats Belinda Bencic (6-3, 6-4)
1/2 final: Maria Sakkari (6-1, 6-4)

The numbers to know

1 – Two second weeks in her first two appearances in the final table of a Grand Slam: Emma Raducanu became the first player to achieve such a performance in this century.

44 – Emma Raducanu will become the first British player to play in a Grand Slam final since Virginia Wade, winner of Wimbledon in 1977. 44 years of waiting are over.

0/4 – This is the number of sets conceded by Emma Raducanu in nine games. Forced to go through qualifying, the Briton went into tornado mode. Fernandez has conceded four in six games.

2 – Coming from the same generation, the two players have faced each other twice in their lives. The first time at the Orange Bowl, one of the most prestigious junior tournaments and the second time in the 2nd round of WImbledon Juniors in 2018. Raducanu had won in two sets (6-4, 6-2). Officially, these two meetings do not count. This final will be their first duel on the professional circuit.

The declas

Leylah fernandez

Emma Raducanu

Our opinion

Not easy to decide before this final which will project the WTA circuit in the future. We have two players who produce creative tennis, who play with the crowd, have fun without having a leaden cap on their heads. It’s also very nice not to have two players who tremble at the idea of ​​winning a Grand Slam. They come onto the court and are happy to do so.

We also have two extraordinary courses: Fernandez beat the world top from the 3rd round, necessarily leaving a few feathers there, but his hunting board is there anyway. On the other, there is this perfect Raducanu course. It is perfectly suited to the reputation of prodigy that sticks to the skin of the young Briton, who will become the new figurehead of the WTA circuit behind Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka.

Looking at her career, we notice that the CVs of beaten players are less high-sounding than with Fernandez, even if beating players like Belinda Bencic and Maria Sakkari in two sets is far from easy. Come on, let’s get wet: Raducanu seems to have a more stable tennis to win in the final. From London to New York, there was something big brewing with her.

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