WASHINGTON, D.C. — Almost 4 years in the past, two comparatively unknown youngsters discovered themselves within the US Open championship match. Now, there’s an opportunity you may see them on Sunday within the Mubadala Citi DC Open remaining.
Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez, nonetheless solely 22 and immediately resurgent, are ready to reprise that historic assembly.
Washington, D.C.: Attracts | Scores | Order of play
However first, we ponder Saturday’s semifinals, the place Raducanu faces Anna Kalinskaya and Leylah Fernandez takes on No. 3 seed Elena Rybakina. Right here’s what it’s worthwhile to know:
No. 3 Elena Rybakina vs Leylah Fernandez (not earlier than 2:30 p.m. ET)
Head-to-head: 1-1, with Fernandez profitable their most up-to-date match final 12 months in Cincinnati in three units and Rybakina prevailing earlier in a straight-sets quarterfinal in Doha.
The case for Rybakina: That is her first journey to D.C., however she’s profiting from it. Her 6-3, 6-3 win over No. 5 seed Magdalena Frech was spectacular on a lot of ranges.
Rybakina is now 3-0 in opposition to Frech, the participant who took down Venus Williams within the second spherical. After a win over wild card Victoria Mboko within the first spherical, Rybakina has gained all 4 of her units.
That is Rybakina’s third semifinal of the season. After shedding the primary two (to Belinda Bencic and Mirra Andreeva) she defeated Beatriz Haddad Maia on the best way to the title in Strasbourg.
Her serve is nearly at all times the weapon that determines the end result and it was by no means extra true on these quick laborious courts in D.C. Rybakina had seven aces in opposition to Frech and saved all three of the break factors in opposition to her.
The case for Fernandez: She confirmed large resilience in her 6-4, 7-6 (4) win over Taylor Townsend.
Towards the top of their 141-minute match within the blazing warmth, Fernandez tried to keep away from cramping by stopping to stretch. And whereas Townsend fought off 18 of 23 break factors, Fernandez cashed 5 — yet another than Townsend.
That is her first tour-level semifinal since final fall in Hong Kong, however not one of the gamers she beat had been ranked contained in the Prime 75. Right here, she took down two gamers who had already amassed 5 titles this 12 months. Within the first spherical, she defeated No. 38 Maya Joint, a two-time winner and within the second it was top-seeded Jessica Pegula, the World No. 4.
Fernandez will keep in mind that three-set win over Rybakina fondly as a result of she saved two match factors alongside the best way.
Like Raducanu, she’ll have the benefit of taking part in her quarterfinal match considerably sooner than her opponent.
Anna Kalinskaya vs Emma Raducanu (to observe)
Head-to-head: 0-0
The case for Raducanu: She’s feeling good about herself and her recreation. With a win on Saturday, she’ll crack the PIF WTA Rankings Prime 30 for the primary time in three years.
Her 6-4, 7-5 win over Maria Sakkari was a testomony to all of the laborious work she’s been “banking” this 12 months. And he or she did it in fashion, coming again to win the final 5 video games of the match.
Raducanu has but to drop a set — and it’s not like she’s had a straightforward path. Within the first spherical, it was Marta Kostyuk, when she survived a first-set tiebreak. The second was a extensively anticipated first assembly with Naomi Osaka wherein Raducanu served brilliantly and broke the four-time Grand Slam champion 3 times.
That is her finest lead to three visits to the District of Columbia. She’s a significantly better participant, she mentioned, since she reached final WTA Tour-level semifinal three years in the past in Seoul.
“I feel I’ve been much more targeted and aggressive for every level and never being flat or defeated,” Raducanu mentioned. “I feel my serve has improved. The previous couple of matches I’ve been getting much more free factors. Then additionally I feel simply motion of my defensive abilities have most likely been the largest enchancment.
“I feel I’m in a position to form of dig out some factors and keep within the factors and use a bit extra hand abilities, slice, get an additional ball again.”
That range may give her the higher hand in opposition to Kalinskaya.
The case for Kalinskaya: She appears to like this venue, the place she made the semifinals six years in the past as a qualifier and has three quarterfinal berths (at the least) in three appearances.
The 6-3, 7-5 victory over the No. 19-ranked Tauson was her 20th victory over a Prime 10 participant, the latest being a choice in Strasbourg over No. 3 Jessica Pegula.
Like Raducanu, Kalinskaya is unseeded and has but to drop a set.
Kalinskaya took out two seeds, No. 4 Tauson and, within the second spherical, No. 8 Magda Linette. Tauson was main the tour in aces coming into the match, however Kalinskaya matched her with 4 aces and broke her serve six instances, whereas saving three of six break-point alternatives in opposition to her.
She’s taking part in with confidence, seeking to win her first profession WTA 500 after shedding within the 2024 Berlin remaining.
