Factbox – Tennis – Milestones achieved by U.S. Open finalists Raducanu and Fernandez

September 10, 2021

(Reuters) – Factbox on the U.S. Open women’s final between British 18-year-old Emma Raducanu and Canadian 19-year-old Leylah Fernandez:

U.S. OPEN WOMEN’S FINAL MILESTONES

* First Grand Slam final in the Open Era in the men’s and women’s game to feature two unseeded players.

* First Grand Slam final to be contested by two teenagers since the 1999 U.S. Open when American Serena Williams beat Switzerland’s Martina Hingis 6–3 7–6(4).

EMMA RADUCANU

* First qualifier in the men’s and women’s game to reach a Grand Slam final.

* First British woman to reach the U.S. Open final since Virginia Wade won the title in 1968.

* First British woman to reach a Grand Slam final since Virginia Wade won Wimbledon in 1977.

* Youngest British Grand Slam finalist since Christine Truman won Roland Garros in 1959.

* First woman to reach the U.S. Open final without dropping a set since German Angelique Kerber in 2016.

* Entered the tournament ranked world number 150 and will move up to 32nd by reaching the final. Raducanu will be world number 24 if she wins the title.

* Regardless of the result, Raducanu will end Johanna Konta’s 310-week reign as the top-ranked British woman on Monday. Konta is ranked 47 in the world.

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ

* Second Canadian in three years to reach the U.S. Open final after Bianca Andreescu was crowned champion in 2019.

* Fourth Canadian in the men’s and women’s game to reach a Grand Slam final after Eugenie Bouchard (2014 Wimbledon), Milos Raonic (2016 Wimbledon) and Andreescu.

* Youngest player to beat three top five seeds (3-Naomi Osaka, 5-Elina Svitolina and 2-Aryna Sabalenka) at a Grand Slam since American Serena Williams accomplished the feat when she won the U.S. Open in 1999.

* Entered the tournament ranked world number 73 and will move up to 27th by reaching the final. Fernandez can become world number 19 if she wins the title.

(Compiled by Anuron Kumar Mitra in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)

Source Link Factbox – Tennis – Milestones achieved by U.S. Open finalists Raducanu and Fernandez