Leylah Fernández, the 'giant killer' of the US Open 1:02
(CNN) -
The US Open women's final will be a battle between teens after Britain's Emma Raducanu advanced to her first major final by defeating No. 17 seed Maria Sakkari of Greece 6-1, 6-4 in the semifinals on Thursday night.
Raducanu, 18, will face Canada's Leylah Fernandez, 19, in the final at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday, in what will be the first grand final among teenagers since the 1999 US Open when Serena Williams defeated Martina Hingis.
Britain's Emma Raducanu and Canada's Leylah Fernandez will meet in the US Open women's final on Saturday.
Both players have had impressive careers at the US Open that have already made history.
Raducanu, ranked 150th in the world, had to go through qualification to enter the main draw at the US Open.
She was the first in that situation to reach the semifinals of the tournament in the open era and is only her second appearance in a main tournament.
He has yet to lose a set in the tournament, including all three qualifying rounds.
On Saturday she will play not only for her first major title, but also her first title of any kind on the WTA Tour.
After his match against Sakkari, Raducanu said he knew he would have to play his best tennis "if he wanted a chance."
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"I think today would always be a very difficult match, to play Maria Sakkari. She is an incredible player, probably one of the best athletes on the circuit," Raducanu said in his post-match press conference.
"Honestly, I think I played some of my best tennis today."
Raducanu is also the youngest Grand Slam finalist since Maria Sharapova won Wimbledon in 2004. Her goal is to become the first British woman to win a major tournament since Virginia Wade won Wimbledon in 1977.
In her US Open career, Raducanu has beaten two players ranked in the top 20: Sakkari (18) and Belinda Bencic (12).
On his spectacular performance so far, Raducanu said it was "a surprise. I honestly can't believe it. A shock. Crazy. All of the above."
"It means a lot to be here in this situation. Obviously I wanted to play Grand Slams, but I didn't know how soon it would be. To be in a Grand Slam final at this stage in my career, I am speechless," he said.
Fernandez, meanwhile, has become a giant killer, defeating two former US Open champions, World No. 3 Naomi Osaka and No. 17 Angelique Kerber, in addition to defeating No. 5 Elina Svitolina.
To reach the final, Fernandez defeated World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-4 on Thursday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
After his victory in the semifinal, Fernandez described his experience at the US Open as "magical."
Surprise at the US Open: Naomi Osaka falls defeated by Leylah Fernandez
"I think a word that really stuck with me is 'magic' because not only is my career really good, but also the way I'm playing now," he said at the post-match press conference.
"I'm having fun, I'm trying to do something for the public to enjoy. I'm glad that whatever I'm doing on the court, the fans love it and I love it. Let's just say it's magical."
At 73rd before the US Open, Fernandez is expected to jump into the top 40 on Monday.
The excitement for the final is already building, with many people commenting on social media about how the match is a victory for immigrant families.
Raducanu was born to a Romanian father and a Chinese mother, and Fernandez is the daughter of a Canadian Filipino mother and an Ecuadorian father.
When told after her semifinal match that people in the Philippines are now interested in tennis because of her, Fernandez said "wow."
"I am so happy to hear that everyone in the Philippines is cheering me on and supporting me. So thank you," she said, adding that she was eager to eat her "lolo" (grandfather) Filipino dishes.
CNN's Jill Martin contributed to this story.
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