Briton Emma Raducanu has become the first qualifier to reach the US Open final on Friday (NZ time) by beating Greece's Maria Sakkari 6-1 6-4 on Arthur Ashe stadium.
With British tennis royalty Tim Henman and Virginia Wade looking on from the stands, Raducanu fended off seven break points across her first two service games and capitalized on a trio of double faults from Sakkari on the way to a 5-0 lead in the first set.
Down a break in the second set, Sakkari then fought off five break points in a near 10-minute seventh game but the 18-year-old Raducanu would not be denied and went on to seal the match to set up a final against fellow teen Leylah Fernandez of Canada.
It will be the eighth Grand Slam final in the Open era to feature two teenagers and the first since the 1999 US Open between Serena Williams and Martina Hingis.
"Honestly, the time here in New York has gone so fast," said Raducanu. "I've just been taking care of each day, and before you know three weeks later, I'm in the final and I can't actually believe it."
Earlier, Leylah Fernandez continued her storybook run with yet another upset, as the Canadian teenager shocked second seed Aryna Sabalenka 7-6(3) 4-6 6-4 to reach her first Grand Slam final.
Rankings-wise, the second seeded Belarusian represented the toughest challenge yet for the 19-year-old left-hander. But with a string of seeded victims behind her, Fernandez had already shown she could not be intimidated.
The 73rd ranked Canadian has stated she could beat anyone and backed up the bravado with victories over four-time Grand Slam winner and defending champion Naomi Osaka in the third round, three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber in the fourth and fifth seed Elina Svitolina in the quarter-finals.
One of the game's big servers Sabalenka threw everything she had at Fernandez, including 10 aces, but had no better luck against the youngster, who played with veteran poise throughout the three-set thriller.
"I have no idea," said Fernandez when asked how she pulled off another upset. "I just wanted to be in the finals, I really wanted it ... I don't know how I got that last point in."
Sabalenka, bidding for her first Grand Slam final, came out all guns blazing, blasting away from baseline and racing to 3-0 lead in just eight minutes.
But just as it looked as if Fernandez might be blown off the court, she steadied herself and reproduced the kind of fearless shot-making that has made her the darling of Flushing Meadows.
The Canadian broke back at 4-3 and went on to dominate the tiebreak 7-3.
A fired-up Sabalenka broke Fernandez to open the second set but the Canadian broke back to level at 2-2, driving a clenched fist into the air that has become her trademark salute.
The Belarusian earned a decisive break to nose in front 5-4 and confidently held serve to send the match to a decider.
But in a tense third set it was Sabalenka who cracked.
Serving at 5-4 to stay in the match, she double faulted twice then sent a return long to gift victory to Fernandez, who dropped to the court and covered her face as the crowd roared.
Reuters/Newshub.
