Breakout star Leylah Fernandez soars to maiden Grand Slam final with hard-fought win over Sabalenka

The dream run continued for rising star Leylah Fernandez, as the teenager overcame her sternest challenge yet in World No.2 Aryna Sabalenka to advance to the 2021 US Open final.

Fernandez electrified the crowd as she pulled off the 7-6(3) 4-6 6-4 victory, surprising even herself as she hit shots that seemed to come out of nowhere. The Canadian struggled in the first set against the big-hitting Belarusian, but was able to prevail after a tiebreak that saw Fernandez keep her cool as Sabalenka imploded.

Despite losing the first set, the second seed remained focused and was able to obtain the crucial break in the second, dictating play from the baseline as Fernandez scrambled to keep balls in play.

With the match tied at a set apiece, it came down to who wanted it more. The crowd on Arthur Ashe was definitely behind the 19-year old Fernandez, who responded by smiling and encouraging them to cheer her on. The reverse was the case for Sabalenka, who was plagued by inconsistency and double faults the entire match. Although she was vastly more experienced in these high-pressure situation, it was Sabalenka who crumbled as Fernandez claimed the match after a thrilling two hours and 21 minutes of play.

With only one more victory left to cap her Cinderella run, the World No.73 will face either 17th seed Maria Sakkari or outstanding British qualifier Emma Raducanu, as both women will battle it out for a spot in the final.