It was a night to remember for Canada as 19-year-old Leylah Fernandez and Felix Auger-Aliassime, 21, reached their maiden Slam semifinals at the U.S. Open here on Wednesday.
The 19-year-old Fernandez, who had ousted defending champion Naomi Osaka and three-time Slam winner Angelique Kerber, delivered another stunner to defeat Ukrainian fifth-seed Elina Svitolina 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5).
Fernandez booked a last-four matchup against second seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, who beat Czech eighth seed and reigning French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova 6-1, 6-4.
Felix Auger-Aliassime, seeded 12th, advanced when 55th-ranked Spanish 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz retired, trailing 6-3, 3-1 with a leg injury.
The Canadian will next take on Russian second seed Daniil Medvedev, who advanced to his third straight U.S. Open semifinal by overcoming 117th-ranked Dutch qualifier Botic Van de Zandschulp 6-3, 6-0, 4-6, 7-5 at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Left-hander Fernandez, who turned 19 on Monday, snapped the Tokyo Olympic bronze medallists nine-match win streak with clutch shotmaking, firing 42 winners, as spectators roared their delight.
Fernandez broke for a 4-2 lead and captured the first set in 38 minutes, the first Svitolina surrendered at the Open.
In the second set, Svitolina broke twice to lead 5-1 but Fernandez broke in the seventh game and forced three break points in the last game before a Svitolina ace mandated a third set. Fernandez and Svitolina exchanged four breaks on the way to the tie-breaker, in which the teenager never trailed, advancing after two hours and 24 minutes with a service winner.
“I told myself to trust my shots,” Fernandez said. “Even if I lose, I’ve got to go for it. And I’m glad I did.”
“She’s playing well,” Sabalenka said of Fernandez. “She’s moving well and the crowd cheers for her. I’d say nothing to lose for this one.”
Sabalenka matched her deepest Slam run from July at Wimbledon with a WTA-best 43rd match win of 2021.
Asked about his match, Auger-Aliassime said “It’s an amazing milestone. It’s a weird way to end but I’ll have a chance to play one of the best players in the world.
“It’s really tough to end a great tournament like this,” Alcaraz said. “I had no choice to still play. I have to take care of my body and to stay healthy. I didn’t feel good to still play.”
“I just want to do a little bit better than the last two times and get this extra step, which is the toughest one, actually,” Medvedev, who won his only meeting with Auger-Aliassime in Canada in 2018
The 25-year-old from Moscow was a runner-up here in 2019 and lost this year’s Australian Open final to top-ranked Novak Djokovic, who is seeking his fourth US Open title to complete the first men’s singles calendar-year Grand Slam since Rod Laver in 1969. “If he’s in the final, and if I’m there, I’m happy. He’s also happy, I guess,” said Medvedev.
