OT: Canadian Tennis

[Drivesaitl]

As my friends dad used to say, "She's built for comfort, not speed."

heh, I'm not gonna DRIVE further into that comment.

She's easy to look at, thats for sure.

 

[Cloned]

Leylah so good.

 

[Delicious Pancakes]

Leylah goes down 2-0 in the second set, and now up 3-2 after battling back to break Sabalenka in one game, and battling back to hold serve in the next. Girl's got some serious poise.

 

[Da McBomb]

First time watching Leylah. I'm an instant fan.

 

[bellagiobob]

Sabalenka implodes at the worst possible moment.

 

[Delicious Pancakes]

Wooo! Breaks Sabalenka on the first match point to win it 7-6, 4-6, 6-4. She's going to the final!

 

[CupofOil]

Sabalenka implodes at the worst possible moment.

I feel bad for her but.... Leylah!!! What a story.

 

[Da McBomb]

Leylah's personality is so likeable

 

[Cloned]

Two US Open Finalists in three years for Canada, jesus.

Raducanu was born in Canada too lol.

 

[CupofOil]

Two US Open Finalists in three years for Canada, jesus.

Raducanu was born in Canada too lol.

Oh wow, I had no idea. Canada just churning them out like crazy nowadays.

 

[Cloned]

Oh wow, I had no idea. Canada just churning them out like crazy nowadays.

She should declare for Canada lol. Then I'd cheer for her tonight.

 

[oilers'72]

Oh wow, I had no idea. Canada just churning them out like crazy nowadays.

This is the list of players committed to Canada, I believe. It has men, women, juniors, college and wheelchair player bios.

Canadian Player Bios - Tennis Canada

Home - Tennis Canada

 

[oobga]

Amazing match! Can't wait to see Fernandez in the finals! Crazy she beat #3, #2 and #5 on this road to the finals.

#150 ranked 18 year old currently leading the other semifinal.

 

[Canovin]

I hear Raducanu has faced Leylah in juniors before and has beaten her. Both are Canadians too. I honestly don't know who to cheer for if they face each others in the finals. Both are so likeable

 

[Cloned]

Gonna be real for a sec here guys...

I'm bout' to OD on this sports high right now. Just wins all over the place for 2 straight weeks. Jays keep winning, Leylah keeps winning, Canadian soccer, Elks won last weekend...

 

[Cloned]

I hear Raducanu has faced Leylah in juniors before and has beaten her. Both are Canadians too. I honestly don't know who to cheer for if they face each others in the finals. Both are so likeable

Cheer for the one who didn't betray her country of birth

(I'm KIDDING)

 

[Canovin]

Cheer for the one who didn't betray her country of birth

(I'm KIDDING)

My wife is Filipino so I'm definitely cheering for Leylah. But also secretly cheering for Emma cause she looks exactly like this girl I had a huge crush on back in high school....like 20 years ago

 

[Cloned]

My wife is Filipino so I'm definitely cheering for Leylah. But also secretly cheering for Emma cause she looks exactly like this girl I had a huge crush on back in high school....like 20 years ago

So basically you're cheating on your wife.

 

[Canovin]

So basically you're cheating on your wife.

What happens on HFOil stays on HFOil

 

[Tobias Kahun]

Fernandez definitely earned her spot in the finals with 3 top 5 opponents beaten.

 

[Delicious Pancakes]

Fernandez definitely earned her spot in the finals with 3 top 5 opponents beaten.

Plus Kerber, a former world number 1 and 4 time major champion (including US Open). She's a little past her prime now, but still a difficult out.

Raducanu won last night as well in straight sets, so we've got a two teenager final with Raducanu-Fernandez. Raducanu is the first qualifier in the professional era to make it to a grand slam final, and she hasn't dropped a set the whole tournament. Fernanadez on the other hand has had to fight it out in 3-setters in every match going back to the 3rd round against Osaka.

So will Raducanu overwhelm Fernandez, or will Fernandez make life more difficult for Raducanu and wear her down? I'm betting on this match going to 3 sets and we'll see if Raducanu has the endurance and mental fortitude to overcome Leylah who just won't go away against her opponents, finds a way to make her breaks when she needs them and is happy to take advantage of her opponents' mistakes.

 

[Canovin]

Plus Kerber, a former world number 1 and 4 time major champion (including US Open). She's a little past her prime now, but still a difficult out.

Raducanu won last night as well in straight sets, so we've got a two teenager final with Raducanu-Fernandez. Raducanu is the first qualifier in the professional era to make it to a grand slam final, and she hasn't dropped a set the whole tournament. Fernanadez on the other hand has had to fight it out in 3-setters in every match going back to the 3rd round against Osaka.

So will Raducanu overwhelm Fernandez, or will Fernandez make life more difficult for Raducanu and wear her down? I'm betting on this match going to 3 sets and we'll see if Raducanu has the endurance and mental fortitude to overcome Leylah who just won't go away against her opponents, finds a way to make her breaks when she needs them and is happy to take advantage of her opponents' mistakes.

I understand this was awhile ago but Emma has beaten Leylah 6-2, 6-1 when they were 15.

 

[bellagiobob]

 

[Drivesaitl]

Aside from it being a great underdog story as others have mentioned it isn't that. Here we have 2 teenagers in the final of the US open. Meaning that they beat, and were better than everybody else older than them.

Thats a big story for the two involved. Its a bit of an indictment for anybody else that is ranked and played in this tournament.

This is who Fernandez beat leading up to this;

This was the left-handed Fernandez’s fourth consecutive three-set victory over a seeded opponent. First came No. 3 Naomi Osaka, the 2018 and 2020 U.S. Open champion. Then came No. 16 Angelique Kerber, the 2016 champ. That was followed by No. 5 Elina Svitolina and Sabalenka.

Also, the two players were highly touted and Fernandez has been touted since around 2017 as a potential next thing. Is she really that much of a longshot? In a years time she'll be a favorite. Not sure how she wasn't ranked higher even before the tournament. Still, she was #73 in world and will be top twenty when this one is done.

Its like saying a young Wayne Gretzky isn't a favorite to win an Art Ross just because of his age.

The two teens deserve all the credit for reaching the final, they wanted it more. But it doesn't say much for the WTA competition that they got through all top ranked competitors. At some point that seems less an upset, and more that the players were playing better than all the top opponents.

 

[bellagiobob]