NEW YORK. – British teenager Emma Raducanu produced yet another electrifying performance to become the first qualifier to reach the US Open semifinals on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila), defeating Olympic champion Belinda Bencic 6-3 6-4 on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Down an early break, the 150th-ranked Briton recovered swiftly to win four straight games to close out the first set in which she had seven forehand winners and three aces.
Like Raducanu, Bencic had reached the last eight without dropping a set over the past nine days but on Wednesday she struggled with her first serve and misfired a pair of costly double faults in the opening set.
Raducanu maintained her momentum in the second set, fending off three break points in the second game.
A frustrated Bencic handed Raducanu a break with a double fault in the fifth game and her frustration boiled over as the match progressed, with the Swiss smacking her racket to the ground. — Reuters
