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To paraphrase good outdated Katy Perry, Leylah Fernandez and Emma Raducanu are livin’ a teenage dream.
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Fernandez and Raducanu will make historical past once they face off within the U.S. Open ladies’s ultimate at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday. It’s the primary main ultimate between two teenagers since 1999, when Serena Williams beat Martina Hingis.
Whether or not you’re a tennis fan or not, watching a few unseeded youngsters (the sum of their ages is probably going lower than many people) slay their manner by the final Grand Slam of 2021 has been inspiring to behold.
Two weeks in the past, their championship matchup appeared inconceivable on paper. However as they burned by prime gamers with relative ease, they’ve been nothing in need of spectacular. Although that is also their age and the fearlessness that comes with that.
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Each younger women have received the hearts of followers all over the world however significantly in Canada.
Fernandez has been a pleasure to look at, crushing goals in quite a few tiebreakers over the past two weeks, whereas British (however Canadian-born!) Radacanu has but to surrender a set.
They’ve performed with nothing to lose (as a result of they actually have NOTHING TO LOSE). Right here, we break down the story of the tape in the summertime’s most unbelievable battle.
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AGE
Leylah: 19
Emma: 18
BIRTHPLACE
Leylah: Montreal
Emma: Toronto
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PARENTS
Leylah: Dad Jorge is from Ecuador; mother Irene is Filipino-Canadian
Emma: Dad Ian is from Romania; mother Renee is from China
RANKING GOING INTO THE OPEN
Leylah: 73rd
Emma: a hundred and fiftieth
(Word: If Fernandez wins, she’ll transfer to nineteenth; if Raducanu wins, she’ll be within the High 32)
HANDED
Leylah: Lefty
Emma: Righty
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TENNIS IDOLS
Leylah: Justine Henin
Emma: Simona Halep, Li Na
HOW THEY GOT TO THE FINAL (from semis to first spherical)
Leylah:
No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-4
No. 5 Elina Svitolina 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5)
No. 16 Angelique Kerber 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-2
No. 3 Naomi Osaka 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-4
Kaia Kanepi 7-5, 7-5
Ana Konjuh 7-6 (3), 6-2
Emma:
No. 17 Maria Sakkari 6-1, 6-4
No. 11 Belinda Bencic 6-3, 6-4
Shelby Rogers 6-2, 6-1
Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-0, 6-1
Shuai Zhang 6-2, 6-4
Stefanie Voegele 6-2, 6-3
FAMOUS FANS
Leylah: Steve Nash, Magic Johnson
Emma: Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Liam Gallagher
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MAKING HISTORY
Leylah: She turned the fourth Canadian ever to make a serious singles ultimate, becoming a member of Eugenie Bouchard (2014 Wimbledon), Milos Raonic (2016 Wimbledon) and Bianca Andreescu (2019 U.S. Open winner).
Emma: She needed to get by the qualifiers (so a further three matches) earlier than even beginning the event, making her the first-ever qualifier to achieve a Grand Slam ultimate. She’s additionally the primary British girl in 44 years to achieve a Grand Slam ultimate.
