NEW YORK: Briton Emma Raducanu became the first qualifier to reach the U.S. Open final on Friday by beating Greece’s Maria Sakkari 6-1, 6-4 on Arthur Ashe stadium.

With British tennis royalty Tim Henman and Virginia Wade looking on from the stands, Raducanu fended off seven break points across her first two service games and capitalised on a trio of double faults from Sakkari on the way to a 5-0 lead in the first set.