Emma Raducanu Upsets No. 11 Belinda Bencic, Advances to US Open Semifinals

Emma Raducanu continued her stunning run in the 2021 U.S. Open and advanced to the semifinals after upsetting No. 11 Belinda Bencic 6-3, 6-4 on Wednesday in New York City.

Serving on match point at 40-30, Raducanu watched Bencic dump a forehand slice into the net to seal the result. She becomes the first-ever qualifier in the Open era to reach the U.S. Open semifinals in the men's or women's draw.

The 18-year-old awaits either No. 4 Karolina Pliskova or No. 17 Maria Sakkari in the next round.

Raducanu dropped serve in the opening game of the match and quickly fell behind 1-3. She displayed a level of composure belying her age, earning two service breaks of Bencic en route to taking the opening frame.

Bencic was on the ropes early in the second set and had to fight off two break points to keep Raducanu at bay. But the young Brit fired back with a service break in the fifth game to go ahead 3-2 in the set.

With Bencic trailing 4-5, it looked like the Swiss might be able to extend the match as she took the first two points of the game. Raducanu regained control before Bencic's 21st unforced error brought the match to an end.

Raducanu has yet to drop a set at the U.S. Open, and that consistency carried over to the quarterfinals. She finished with 23 winners to 12 unforced errors. She also won 69 percent of her first serves and 57 percent of her second serves.

Thanks to her run in the Big Apple, the teenager is due to surge up the WTA rankings no matter what happens from here.

This tournament may also represent a peek into the future of women's tennis.

Tennis writer Ben Rothenberg noted how the U.S. Open could have two teens in the final for the first time since 1999, with 19-year-old Leylah Fernandez set to play No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka in the semis Thursday.