(CNN)The US Open women's last volition beryllium a conflict of the teens arsenic Britain's Emma Raducanu advances to her archetypal large last by defeating No. 17 effect Maria Sakkari of Greece 6-1, 6-4 successful the semifinals connected Thursday night.
Raducanu, 18, volition look 19-year-old Canadian Leylah Fernandez successful the last astatine the Arthur Ashe Stadium connected Saturday, making it the archetypal large last betwixt teenagers since the 1999 US Open erstwhile Serena Williams defeated Martina Hingis.
Both players person had stunning US Open runs that person already made history.
Raducanu, ranked 150th successful the world, had to spell done qualifying to get into the US Open main draw. She was the archetypal qualifier to scope the US Open semifinals successful the Open Era and it's lone her 2nd quality successful a major. She has yet to driblet a acceptable successful the tournament, including successful the 3 rounds of qualifying.
On Saturday, she'll beryllium playing for not lone her archetypal large title, but her archetypal rubric of immoderate benignant connected the WTA Tour.
Following her lucifer against Sakkari, Raducanu said she knew she would person to play immoderate of her champion tennis "if I wanted a chance."
"I deliberation contiguous was ever going to beryllium a precise hard match, to play against Maria Sakkari. She's an unbelievable player, astir apt 1 of the champion athletes retired determination connected tour," Raducanu said successful her post-match property conference. "Honestly, I deliberation I played immoderate of my champion tennis today."
Raducanu is besides the youngest expansive slam finalist since Maria Sharapova won Wimbledon successful 2004. She aims to go the archetypal British pistillate to triumph a large since Virginia Wade won Wimbledon successful 1977.
In her US Open run, Raducanu has beaten 2 players ranked successful the apical 20: 18th-ranked Sakkari and No.12 Belinda Bencic.
On her blistering show truthful far, Raducanu said it was "A surprise. Honestly, I conscionable can't judge it. A shock. Crazy. All of the above."
"It means a batch to beryllium present successful this situation. I wanted evidently to beryllium playing Grand Slams, but I didn't cognize however soon that would be. To beryllium successful a Grand Slam last astatine this signifier of my career, I person nary words," she said.
Fernandez, meanwhile, has been a elephantine killer, beating 2 erstwhile US Open champions successful satellite No. 3 Naomi Osaka and No. 17 Angelique Kerber arsenic good arsenic beating No. 5 Elina Svitolina.
To scope the final, Fernandez defeated satellite No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus successful 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4 connected Thursday nighttime astatine Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Following, her semi-final victory, Fernandez described her US Open acquisition arsenic "magical."
"I deliberation 1 connection that truly stuck to maine is 'magical' due to the fact that not lone is my tally truly bully but besides the mode I'm playing close now," she said successful the post-match property conference.
"I'm conscionable having fun, I'm trying to nutrient thing for the assemblage to enjoy. I'm gladsome that immoderate I'm doing connected court, the fans are loving it and I'm loving it, too. We'll accidental it's magical."
Ranked 73rd heading into the US Open, Fernandez is expected to leap into the apical 40 connected Monday.
Excitement for the last is already brewing, with galore radical commenting connected societal media astir however the lucifer is simply a triumph for migrant families.
Raducanu was calved to a Romanian begetter and Chinese parent and Fernandez is the girl of a Filipino Canadian parent and Ecuadorian father.
When told aft her semi-final lucifer that radical successful the Philippines person an involvement successful tennis present due to the fact that of her, Fernandez said "wow."
"I'm truthful blessed to perceive that everyone successful the Philippines is cheering for maine and supporting me. So convey you," she said, adding that she was looking guardant to eating her "lolo's" (grandfather's) Filipino cooking.
After her match, Raducanu said having a Chinese ma "definitely instilled from a young property hard work, discipline" and that she looked up to Chinese tennis prima Li Na.
"When I was younger I would instrumentality a batch of inspiration from Li Na, adjacent present conscionable the mode she was specified a fierce competitor," Raducanu said of the two-time expansive slam winner.
CNN's Jill Martin contributed to this story.
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