NEW YORK: Unseeded British teenager Emma Raducanu went from qualifier to champion at the US Open in just her second appearance at a Grand Slam tournament.
Raducanu beat Canadian teenager Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-3 in the final at Flushing Meadows on Saturday to become the first player to go preliminary qualifying rounds all the way to a major title in the professional era.
The 18-year-old Raducanu, who is ranked 150th, wound up winning all 20 sets she played in New York — six in qualifying, 14 in the main draw — and is the first woman to win the singles championship without dropping a set since Serena Williams in 2014.
This was the first major final between two teens since Williams, 17, beat Martina Hingis, 18, at the 1999 US Open and the first between two unseeded women.
Raducanu broke to go up 4-2 in the second set, held for 5-2 and twice was a point from winning the title in the next game. But she let both of those opportunities slip away by putting groundstrokes into the net.
Then at 5-3, while Raducanu was serving for the match, she slid on the court chasing a ball to her backhand side, bloodying her left knee. A trainer came out to put a white bandage on the cut and, during a delay of more than four minutes, Fernandez — a 19-year-old left-hander from Canada ranked 73rd — spoke to chair umpire Marijana Veljovic.
When they resumed, Raducanu saved a pair of break points, then converted on her third chance to close it, ending a 108 mph ace. She dropped her racket, landed on her back and covered her face with both hands.
Raducanu is the first British woman to win a Grand Slam trophy since Virginia Wade at Wimbledon in 1977.
She is also the youngest player to claim a women’s major title since Maria Sharapova was 17 at Wimbledon in 2004.
Britain’s Raducanu beats Canada’s Fernandez to win US Open
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Britain’s Raducanu beats Canada’s Fernandez to win US Open
- The unseeded 18-year-old has become a champion in just her second appearance at a Grand Slam tournament
- She is the youngest player to claim a women’s major title since Maria Sharapova was 17 at Wimbledon in 2004
Zemmer fires 7-birdie round to lead Hilton Classic in Morocco
- 5-under round leaves Zimmer 1 shot ahead of compatriot Matteo Cristoni as Italy dominates early leaderboard
TANGIER: Italy’s Aron Zemmer produced a composed and clinical display to card a five-under-par opening round and claim the first-round lead at the Hilton Classic here on Monday.
Zemmer’s compatriot Matteo Cristoni was just one shot behind, giving the Azzurri a strong early lead at the second event of the MENA Golf Tour’s Morocco Series at Al-Houara Golf Club in Tangier.
Zemmer, who started from the 10th tee, carded seven birdies against two bogeys in strong, swirling wind that made scoring difficult throughout the field.
He birdied three consecutive holes from the third before adding another at the ninth to make the turn four-under, and despite dropping shots at 11 and 12, responded with birdies at 15 and 18 to sign for a 67.
Despite a three-putt early in his round, Zemmer was in good spirits, riding the confidence of a strong performance at last week’s Al -Houara Classic. “To make seven birdies in those conditions is very pleasing,” Zemmer said.
“I came into the week feeling confident after playing well last week, and my iron play was solid which allowed me to go at a few pins. I made a small adjustment to my putting setup which definitely helped today.”
Also starting from the 10th, Cristoni was equally impressive, making birdies at 10 and 13 before picking up further shots at the third, fourth and sixth on the front nine. A sole bogey at the seventh was the only blemish on a four-under 68.
Ireland’s Alex Maguire shares second place on four-under par after a round that featured arguably the shot of the day, an eagle at the par-five 15th alongside four birdies.
Maguire admitted he had been hard on himself after a disappointing finish at last week’s Al-Houara Classic but found inspiration on the morning of his round from a fellow Irishman, Ryder Cup star Shane Lowry.
Lowry’s widely-reported interview about throwing away a three-shot lead down the stretch at the Cognizant Classic on the PGA Tour struck a chord. “It was very, very gusty and in many ways it felt like it got harder as the round went on,” Maguire said.
“The front nine was more constant, you could read the wind and commit to a number, but on the back nine it became really unpredictable. It’s much more about feel and experience in these conditions.
“The first thing I saw this morning was Shane Lowry talking about going through something similar at a much bigger event and saying you’ve just got to keep teeing it up and not dwell on it.
“It helped me stop feeling sorry for myself and just get on with it, and I think that showed today.”
Four players share fourth place on three-under par: France’s Pierre Pineau, Scotland’s Sebastian Sandin, England’s Curtis Knipes and Pakistan’s Aadam Syed.
Pineau, who chipped in twice on what he described as two of the toughest holes on the course, credited his experience of playing in Ireland and Scotland for helping him handle the breeze.
“My driving was especially solid and I played very well tee to green,” Pineau said. “Having played so many tournaments in Ireland and Scotland, I’m used to these kinds of conditions.”
Knipes, who felt he benefited from the draw as the wind eased later in his round, was encouraged by his form heading into the second day.
“The wind was pumping and swirling at times but my game feels in a better spot than last week,” he said. “When you look at the scoring overall it’s a very good round in those conditions.”
Seven players are tied for eighth on two-under par: Toby Hunt (Wales), Haiko Dana (Spain), Alfonso Buendia (Spain), Michael Stewart (Scotland), Zubair Firdaus (Malaysia), Brody Harbinson (Australia) and Andoni Etchenique (France).
Ayoub Lguirati was the highest-placed Moroccan, the home favorite carding a level-par round to share 18th position and keeping local interest alive in the tournament.
Round two takes place on Tuesday, with the final round on Wednesday. The Hilton Classic has a prize fund of $100,000 and awards Official World Golf Ranking points.
