The magical run of Filipino-Canadian netter Leylah Fernandez continued on Thursday morning as she took down the second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4, in the semifinals to book her spot in the finals of the 2021 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center in New York.
The world no. 73 showed remarkable resilience as she battled back from a 1-4 deficit in the first set to knot it all up at 4-4. The 19-year old then rose to the occasion to take the first set, 7-6. The Belarusian, though, answered with a powerful second set performance to win, 6-4, and send the match into a decider.
In the third, Fernandez held serve to surge in front, 5-4. With Sabalenka serving to stay alive in the match, Fernandez poured it on and broke the 10th game to snatch the win.
“That’s years and years and years of hard work, and tears and blood, everything, on-court, off-court sacrifices,” Fernandez said on the court right after the match’s conclusion. “I just wanted to be in the final. I really wanted it. I fought for every point. Aryna fought for the same thing. I don’t know how I got that last point, but I’m glad I did.
The 19-year old has now beaten three players who are ranked in the top five of the world. This includes the defending champion Naomi Osaka and the fifth-ranked Elina Svitolina.
Fernandez will now wait for the winner of the other semifinal match between No. 17 seed Maria Sakkari and 18-year-old Emma Raducanu. The game for the Grand Slam title will be on Sunday at 4 a.m. (Philippine time).
