The Women's US Open Final is one that no one could have possibly predicted two weeks ago even if they had been given multiple different chances to do so.
Even picking one of these players to reach the Final would have been surprising to read, but two teenagers are ready to make their mark on the tennis world and both are going to have some real expectations to deal with regardless of the result. I hope it is a good Final and I can only wish the best to both having had such a special two weeks already.
Emma Raducanu - 2.5 games v Leylah Fernandez: It has to be good news for the WTA Tour to have two teenagers break through and reach the Final of the last Grand Slam of the 2021 season. Tennis is always on the look out for the next big stars and both Leylah Fernandez and Emma Raducanu have been seen as stars of the future.
No one would have thought the future was going to begin in September 2021 though.
The top of the WTA has been a mix of players and there hasn't really been a stand out, dominant player. The likes of Ashleigh Barty and Naomi Osaka will feel they are that player, but all of the Grand Slams have been really open tournaments and it has led to a number of surprising winners.
Barbora Krejcikova is a case in point having been Ranked outside the top 100 last year, but winning the French Open title back in June.
How this US Open will be looked back upon will depend on how Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez are able to back it up- they have time on their side, but both are Ranked outside the top 70 of the World Rankings going into the tournament and there is no doubt that this will be one of the more surprising Grand Slam Champions, regardless of who will win.
I have to favour Emma Raducanu, but both players are going to be dealing with a huge amount of pressure and that can play havoc on a performance. However, it is the British Qualifier who has been playing at an extremely high level throughout the tournament and Emma Raducanu looks to be confident and remains strong despite having those three Qualifiers under her belt too.
You can't take away anything from either player when it comes to the names they have beaten to reach the US Open Final, but Leylah Fernandez has been asked to invest a lot more physicality and emotions into her wins. The young Canadian has come from behind a couple of times already in this tournament and Fernandez has needed three sets in each of her last four wins, which means spending a lot more time on the court compared with Emma Raducanu who has yet to drop a set.
In the last three Rounds, Leylah Fernandez has seen her service numbers slip and that may be the difference between the players in this Final with Emma Raducanu getting plenty out of the conditions in New York City. It is also the British player who has been returning at an exceptional level and I do think that will make the difference in her favour as long as she can handle the occasion.
I have no reason to doubt Emma Raducanu considering how well she has handled herself in this whole tournament and I do think she has shown she is playing the superior tennis behind serve and return compared with Leylah Fernandez. The latter has shown plenty of fight and composure when playing the big points against some big name players, but Emma Raducanu looks to be the real deal and a first Grand Slam looks to be on the cards for her.
MY PICKS: Emma Raducanu - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
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