Emma Raducanu won her biggest semifinal since the stunning 2021 U.S. Open title, winning her biggest semifinal, eliminating Maria Sakkari 6-4, 7-5 on Friday to reach its final four games at the DC Open.
On a sultry day with temperatures as high as 90 degrees Fahrenheit, Raducanu took away the medical timeout in the final five games of the game 5-2 in the second set.
“I want to say that I'm very good for most of the time, but today I'm really struggling,” Radanu said. “It's one of the toughest matches in terms of conditions, I've played in it before. …Those scores in the second set, I'm a little shaky. I'm glad I could turn it off, it's two sets.”
Also reaching the semi-finals in the Hard-Court Championship in Washington is Leylah Fernandez, the runner-up in Lalacanu on Flushing Meadows four years ago. Fernandez beat qualifier Taylor Townsend 6-4, 7-6 (4) on Thursday.
Editing selection
Fernandez is next to a showdown with 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, the highest seed left in the field. Rybakina beat Venus Williams on Thursday night to beat Magdalena Frech’s 6-3, 6-3 titles.
Raducanu's semi-final opponent will be Anna Kalinskaya on Saturday, who beat fourth place Clara Tauson 6-3, 7-5.
In the men's action, Ben Shelton made the DC Open semifinal for the second consecutive year, surpassing Frances Tiafoe 7-6 (2) in the National quarterfinals at night to enter 6-4. Sheldon won 90% of his first point at 146 mph and ended with his ninth ace.
The fourth seed Shelton, a two-time Grand Slam semi-finalist, will face Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Saturday at No. 12. Davidovich Fokina beat No. 1 seed Taylor Fritz 7-6 (3), 3-6, 7-5 on Friday night.
Other men's semifinals will be ranked 7th in Alex de Minaur vs Corentin Moutet. De Minaur defeated No. 14 Brandon Nakashima with a 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 title in the 2021 U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev, while Moutet was the 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 title, with the game delayed by about an hour in the lightning films in the region.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.