Emma Raducanu stuns Belinda Bencic to enter first US Open semifinal

Emma Raducanu was all smiles after her straight-sets win over Belinda Bencic at the US Open. 

Belinda Bencic watched her game flatten and take her out of the US Open Wednesday. 18-year-old Emma Raducanu, burst the offense of the 11^th seed in straight sets to advance to her first major semifinal with a 6-3, 6-4 victory on Arthur Ashe Stadium at the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center. Her first serve dominated the Olympic tennis champion, who couldn’t find a way to overcome the early deficit. 

The Swiss star eyed a place back in the semifinal since 2019 in her first clash with the Brit, who had nothing to lose. The 18-year-old hasn’t dropped a single set since she began qualifications and sits on a seven-match winning streak. In that time, she lost 15 games which were the fewest since Serena did so in 2013. As the youngest Brit left in the woman’s draw in 46 years, Raducanu had to bring together her return game which bests Bencic in the tournament to date. The 11^th seed loves frustration and proved so during her 26-point tiebreak with Iga Swiatek. Whatever Raducanu brought to the table, Bencic would not back down unless absolutely necessary. 

The Brit had the nerves to deal with and missed her chance to score well on three shots. Bencic also had a hiccup with a double fault before the second point went to the teen. She shrugged it off and came through with a sweep of the remaining points. Raducanu got on the board but trailed the Olympic gold medalist by a game after another service hold. The 11^th seed went back to serve in the sixth, but her first serve was underperforming, resulting in her second double fault. Another error kicked the break over to the British teen, who looked to back up her achievement. 

She made it 4-3 and once again broke Bencic in the eighth to go for it all in the ninth. Raducanu held the Swiss star to a single point before taking the first set in 36 minutes. The service points won were well in the hands of the Brit, who nailed down 73 percent and recorded 13 winners to Bencic’s four. With the offense sitting well with the teen, she looked good to give Bencic further challenges going on. 

Bencic read and understood the pace that Raducanu put together and held to open the second. She gave Raducanu a battle with three breakpoint chances but was held off on the second break of deuce. The Swiss star scored a serve to love in the third, but couldn’t dig into the Brit’s service game for a break. She answered by breaking Bencic, who went back to her bench and slammed her racket down in anger. 

After the British teen jumped back to a two-game buffer, she went into the seventh double-faulting for the fourth time but managed to hold serve. Raducanu kept her pace tight to score another win on serve and play for her first major semifinal. Bencic tried to pull everything together and avoid giving her the win on serve. Raducanu gave her an error into the net for the game point which she delivered on an ace down the T. The Brit served for the match in the tenth, got behind by two points but came through to win in 1 hour and 21 minutes.