U.S. Open final expert picks: Leylah Fernandez vs. Emma Raducanu

Expert picks are back for a most amazing U.S. Open women’s final matchup: 19-year-old Leylah Fernandez against 18-year-old Emma Raducanu. They are ranked No. 73 and No. 150 in the world, respectively. A three-team panel previews the action and makes its predictions.

(Q) Emma Raducanu vs. Leylah Fernandez

Ricky: Well, it doesn’t get any crazier than this: Leylah Fernandez vs. Emma Raducanu in the U.S. Open final. This all-teenager showdown between two players ranked outside the top 70 (but clearly with top-5 if not even top-1 potential) is must-watch television for tennis fans. Although the quality of play in Saturday’s championship match will almost certainly live up to the hype, I’m not sure the scoreline will do the same. In nine matches at this tournament (three in qualifying), Raducanu is 18-0 in total sets. The 18-year-old Brit has not even been pushed to a tiebreaker and nobody in the main draw has taken more than four games in any set. She is simply crushing people. Fernandez, on the other hand, is coming off four consecutive three-set thrillers. That isn’t her fault; the 19-year-old Canadian has faced a much tougher draw. But the physical and mental struggle of such matches has to take its toll. With Raducanu in this kind of dominant form, you can’t bet against her. Raducanu in 2: 6-3, 6-3.

Cheryl: This might just be the most surprising final in U.S. Open history. Fernandez is ranked 73rd in the world, while Raducanu is ranked 150th. That would be a shock on its own. No Naomi Osaka, no Ash Barty…no one ranked inside the top 70 in the world. What’s more shocking is how we got here. Leylah Annie Fernandez has put together one of the most impressive upset runs I have ever witnessed. It’s not as though the draw opened up in front of her; SHE did the opening. She beat Osaka, Angelique Kerber, Elina Svitolina, and Aryna Sabalenka to earn her spot in the final. Raducanu actually came up through qualifying, becoming the first qualifier in the history of the sport to reach the women’s semifinals of the US Open. Now, of course, she’s the first qualifier to reach the final. The fact that she dropped ZERO sets along the way is all the more extraordinary. It’s splitting hairs to call one player’s run more impressive than the other’s, but if you pinned me down I’d have to say that Fernandez has been a touch more impressive because Raducanu defeated two seed (No. 11 Belinda Bencic and No. 17 Maria Sakkari) en route to the finals and Fernandez defeated 374 seeds–at least that’s how it felt, anyway. There is the off chance that given the difficulty of her matches compared to Raducanu, Fernandez might be more fatigued. But she didn’t look tired against Sabalenka. I think she has one more win in her. Fernandez in 3: 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.

Pete: Improbable would be a huge understatement to even attempt to begin to describe the 2021 U.S. Open women’s final matchup between the world No. 73 and a qualifier ranked No. 150. Let’s start with Raducanu: 18 sets won, zero lost; one bagel set and five breadstick sets won. A 7-5 set in the second round of qualifying has been the closest anyone has come to threatening the 18 year-old, who was seeded 31st in the qualifying draw. Next we have Fernandez, 19 years and five days old. She needed to go the distance in each of her last four matches. The opponents she defeated (in order): defending champion Osaka, 2016 U.S. Open champion Kerber, world No. 5 Svitolina, and world No. 2 Sabalenka. The fearlessness that both women have exhibited throughout the tournament has been sensational. Twice Fernandez had to overcome a one-set deficit (against Osaka and Kerber) before prevailing in three. In the final, Fernandez will again drop the opening set but this time she will not have the answers as Raducanu wins 20 consecutive setsto win the match and tournament. Raducanu in 2: 6-4, 6-3.