US Open 2021: Leylah Fernandez, Emma Raducanu to play first all-teen final since 1999

The US Open 2021 Final is set to witness history as the women's singles competitors Leylah Fernandez and Emma Raducanu would be featuring in the first all-teen final since Serena Williams and Martina Hingis had competed in the summit clash of the 1999 US Open.

Britain's Emma Radacanu qualified for the finals after a dominant 6-1,6-4 win over Greece's Maria Sakkari in the semis to set up a US Open final clash against Canada's Leylah Fernandez on Saturday. The 18-year-old Emma Radacanu had reached the fourth round of the Wimbledon Women's Singles category earlier this year before she was eliminated. It will be interesting to see whether Emma can outperform Leylah, who has been on a roll in the ongoing US Open.

Leylah Fernandez, on the other hand, qualified for the US Open 2021 final with an impressive 7-6, 4-6, 6-4 win over World no. 2 Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals on Thursday, making her the fourth Canadian player ever to reach a major final. Before Fernandez, three of her compatriots had made history by sealing a final berth at a Grand Slam final. They include Eugenie Bouchard, Milos Raonic, and Bianca Andreescu.

Leylah Fernandez's journey at the US Open 2021 has been unbelievable as she managed to knock out four seeded players en route to her maiden Grand Slam final. Fernandez's three-set win over Sabalenka was her fourth consecutive three-set victory over a seeded opponent. The 19-year-old has accounted for No. 3 Naomi Osaka, the 2018 and 2020 US Open champion, after which she defeated Angelique Kerber, the 2016 champion, followed by Elina Svitolina and now Sabalenka. It remains to be seen whether Leylah Fernandez will become the second Canadian player after Bianca Andreescu to win a Tennis Grand Slam event by lifting the US Open trophy on Saturday.

Martina Hingis vs Venus Williams

1999 US Open was the last time when an all-teen tennis final was played between Martina Hingis and the 23 Grand Slam winner, Serena Williams where Williams had got the better of the then world number one Hingis in the final, 6–3, 7–6 and by this win, Serena also won her first-ever Grand Slam singles title. Martina Hingis had defeated Serena's elder sister Venus Williams in the semi-final whereas, Serena overcame the then-defending champion Lindsay Davenport in their semis clash. 

Image: AP