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Qualifier to champion: Britain's Raducanu, 18, wins US Open

Seth Wenig/AP

Emma Raducanu, of Britain, holds up the US Open championship trophy after defeating Leylah Fernandez, of Canada, during the women's singles final of the US Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

By: The Associated Press

Posted at 5:00 PM, Sep 11, 2021

and last updated 2021-09-11 20:00:16-04

NEW YORK (AP) — British teenager Emma Raducanu has beaten Canadian teenager Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-3 in the U.S. Open final to become the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam title in the professional era.

The 18-year-old Raducanu is ranked 150th and needed to win three matches during preliminary rounds just to get into the main draw.

Saturday's victory capped a run in which she won all 20 sets she played at Flushing Meadows.

Raducanu was participating in only her second Grand Slam tournament.

This was the first major final between two teens since Serena Williams beat Martina Hingis at the 1999 U.S. Open and the first between two unseeded women in the professional era.

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Qualifier to champion: Britain's Raducanu, 18, wins US Open

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