Tennis-Raducanu's supersonic take off has British tennis in dreamland

Sep 9, 2021; Flushing, NY, USA; Emma Raducanu of Great Britain celebrates after match point against Maria Sakkari of Greece (not pictured) on day eleven of the 2021 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports

(Reuters) - There have been a few false dawns for British women’s tennis since Virginia Wade was famously serenaded by the Centre Court crowd after winning Wimbledon 44 years ago.

Since the 31-year-old Wade beat Dutch player Betty Stove no British woman had reached a Grand Slam final until Thursday when 18-year-old Emma Raducanu's mind-boggling run took her to the U.S. Open showpiece as a qualifier in her fourth Tour event.