British 18-year-old sensation Emma Raducanu became the first qualifier to reach the US Open semi-finals by defeating Tokyo Olympic champion Belinda Bencic 6-3, 6-4 on Wednesday.

Raducanu, only the fourth qualifier to reach a Grand Slam semi-final, made the Swiss 11th seed the highest-rated victim of her young career in making history on the New York hardcourts.

“It was a really tough match,” Raducanu said. “I’m really glad to have come through.”

World number 150 Raducanu, who hasn’t dropped a set at the Open, had no clue she would become the new British number one or about the historic impact of her display on the New York hardcourts.

Continue reading this article on SportsDesk, the sports website of the Times of Malta

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