Teenager Leylah Fernandez stuns Angelique Kerber to reach US Open quarter-finals

Canadian teenager Leylah Fernandez’s remarkable US Open run continued after she beat 2016 champion Angelique Kerber to advance to the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows.

On the eve of her 19th birthday Fernandez, who battled back from a 4-2 deficit in the second set to force a tie-break and barely letting up from then on, backed up her win over Naomi Osaka with a 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 victory over Germany’s Kerber.

Fernandez, was given a standing ovation by a full crowd on Louis Armstrong Stadium, will face fifth seed Elina Svitolina for a semi-final spot.

“I was just glad I was having fun on the court,” Fernandez said.

“I have been working hard since the day I started playing tennis and the day I set my mind to being a professional.

“I expected that one day my tennis game is going to come through and that I’m going to be on the big stage in front of a big crowd and getting the wins.”

She is one of three teenagers to have broken through at the US Open, registering victories over four-time Slam champion Osaka and three-time winner Kerber.

Fellow 18-year-olds Emma Raducanu of Britain and Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz have also advanced to the fourth round, with Alcaraz taking out third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas earlier in the week.

PHOTO/COURTESY