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US Open: Emma Raducanu storms into semi-finals

Emma RaducanuImage source, EPA

Eighteen-year-old Emma Raducanu has reached the US Open semi-finals with an amazing straight-sets win.

The British tennis star continued her perfect run, by beating Swiss Olympic champ Belinda Bencic in a 6-3 6-4 win.

The tournament is being played in New York and is one of the sport's biggest events.

A win would mean she will be close to being in the world's top 50 players and become the British women's number one.

Four ways Emma Raducanu is smashing the US Open:
  • Emma is the first qualifier to reach the last four in the tournament

  • She is only the fourth female qualifier ever to reach any Grand Slam semi-final

  • She is the first British woman to reach a US Open semi-final since Jo Durie in 1983

  • Emma is the youngest British woman to reach a Grand Slam semi-final for 46 years

Image source, Reuters
Image caption,

After her win, Emma gave 24-year-old Olympic champion Belinda a hug

"I'm so, so happy to come through," said Emma.

"Belinda is such a great opponent and in unbelievable form, her ball speed caught me off guard so I had to adjust and adapt.

"I'm just taking care of what I can control and I'm on my own journey."

Emma will play the Greek player Maria Sakkari in Thursday's semi-final.

It will be the second of the women's singles semi-finals and will be played at about 9pm local time in New York (2am on Friday morning in the UK).

Image source, Reuters
Image caption,

Emma will play the Greek player Maria Sakkari in the semi-final

Three months ago Emma was ranked 361 in the world, but this summer she amazed fans at the British tennis competition Wimbledon, as she defeated players placed much higher than her in the world tennis rankings.

She was the only British woman to make it to the final 16 in the tournament.