British teen Emma Raducanu is through to the US Open tennis semi-final after beating Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic in straight sets.

The 18-year-old British tennis player beat world number 12 and Olympic gold medallist Bencic 6-3, 6-4 at Flushing Meadows.

Today’s match was the first time Raducanu, who is ranked 150, has faced a top-30 opponent.

After the match, she said: “I’m just so so happy to have come through and thank you so much for all of your support.”

She also paid tribute to her “amazing team” before adding: “Thank you so much everyone. I wish you could be here with me, but honestly everything we’ve been working for, it showed here, so thank you so much.”

Raducanu won the opening set 6-3 after making a tentative start, losing her opening service game and falling 2-0 behind.

However, she held her nerve and broke back in the sixth game to draw level at 3-3.

A superb forehand winner gave her another break point in the eighth game, which she clinched it with the help of a net-cord in the next rally.

In the second set, Raducanu sealed her second break of the match as Bencic buckled with a double fault.

The final game saw the Brit double-fault to trail 0-30 but she then won the next two points and delivered an ace to give her match point.

Raducanu had secured her place in the quarter-final after beating American Shelby Rogers in straight sets on Monday, winning their fourth round clash 6-2 6-1.

This made her the youngest British player to ever reach this stage of the US competition.

The Kent teenager won legions of fans for her performance at this year’s Wimbledon where, as as a wildcard entry, she defied expectations to make it to round four.

Although her winning streak ended in unfortunate circumstances when she struggled with breathing problems and had to retire.

Raducanu is the first woman since Jennifer Capriati in 1990 to reach at least the fourth round of her first two grand slam tournaments.

She was born in Toronto in 2002 to a Chinese mother and Romanian father and the family moved over to England when she was two.

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