Emma Raducanu earned her largest semifinal look since her stunning 2021 US Open title, eliminating Maria Sakkari 6-4, 7-5 on Friday to succeed in the final 4 on the DC Open.
On a muggy day with the temperature topping 90 levels Fahrenheit (32 Celsius), Raducanu took a medical timeout whereas reeling off the final 5 video games of the match after trailing 5-2 within the second set.
“I want to say I am fairly good within the warmth, for essentially the most half, however I used to be actually struggling in the present day,” mentioned Raducanu, who was 18 when she turned the primary qualifier to win a Grand Slam singles trophy. “It was one of many hardest matches, conditions-wise, I’ve ever performed in. … These factors within the second set, I used to be getting a bit wobbly. I am simply pleased I may shut it out, and it was two units.”
Additionally reaching the semifinals on the hard-court match in Washington was Leylah Fernandez, the runner-up to Raducanu at Flushing Meadows 4 years in the past. Fernandez moved on with a 6-4, 7-6 (4) victory over qualifier Taylor Townsend on Thursday.
Editor’s Picks
Subsequent for Fernandez is a matchup in opposition to 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, the very best remaining seed within the subject at No. 3. Rybakina was a 6-3, 6-3 winner over No. 5 Magdalena Frech, the participant who beat Venus Williams on Thursday evening.
Raducanu’s semifinal opponent Saturday might be Anna Kalinskaya, who defeated No. 4 Clara Tauson 6-3, 7-5.
In males’s motion, Ben Shelton made it to the DC Open semifinals for the second consecutive yr, getting previous Frances Tiafoe 7-6 (2), 6-4 in an all-American quarterfinal at evening. Shelton received 90% of his first-serve factors and ended the match together with his ninth ace, at 146 mph.
The fourth-seeded Shelton, a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist, will face No. 12 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Saturday for a berth within the ultimate. Davidovich Fokina beat No. 1 seed Taylor Fritz 7-6 (3), 3-6, 7-5 on Friday evening.
The opposite males’s semifinal will pit No. 7 Alex de Minaur in opposition to Corentin Moutet. De Minaur beat No. 14 Brandon Nakashima 6-4, 6-4, and Moutet was a 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 winner over 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev in a match delayed for about an hour late within the third set due to lightning within the space.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
