US Open officials released a statement explaining a bizarre technical glitch during Naomi Osaka’s loss to Amanda Anisimova. Anisimova fought back from a set deficit to claim a 6-7 7-6 6-3 triumph and secure her spot in Saturday’s championship match.
She’ll face defending titleholder Aryna Sabalenka, who defeated Jessica Pegula in similar comeback fashion earlier that day.
The conclusion of the opening set was interrupted by an unusual malfunction in the electronic line-calling technology. Osaka fired the ball toward the baseline, but the system called ‘out’ before the ball had even landed. Despite the premature announcement, the call turned out to be accurate and Anisimova received the point. It comes as Osaka suffered a third set meltdown as she blows up in US Open vs Amanda Anisimova.
Following the incident, US Open organizers released a statement clarifying the technical mishap and explaining why the point wasn’t replayed. The statement declared: “The electronic line calling live system made an errant call.”
“Upon reviewing the point, the chair umpire and the review official determined that Osaka’s shot was long and that the timing of the errant call did not impact the point. As a result, Anisimova was awarded the point.”
Anisimova will be looking to redeem herself from her devastating loss in the Wimbledon final when she takes on Sabalenka this weekend. During that encounter, she suffered a straight-sets defeat to Iga Swiatek without capturing a single game.
The rising American star secured her revenge against Swiatek by eliminating her from the US Open quarter-finals, delivering a far superior display compared to her Wimbledon showing. Nevertheless, her upcoming challenge in New York represents her most formidable test to date.
Following her victory over Osaka, Anisimova expressed: “[Reaching the final] means the world. I’m trying to process that right now, it’s a dream come true. The hope is to be the champion but I’m in the final now and I’m excited.”
She also offered gracious remarks about her rival, stating: “She is playing amazing tennis, I’m so proud of her after having a baby and returning to this level. I had to dig deep. I tried to stay positive. There were a lot of nerves at the beginning. This tournament means so much and I think that was getting to me.”
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Meanwhile, Osaka commented: “I wouldn’t say it’s a bigger challenge than I expected, because I kind of knew that she’s that type of player. It was just kind of funny at times, because there is no pattern to what she’s doing. It’s kind of like she just hits at the empty court or whatever, and it usually goes in.
“Obviously she went to the finals of Wimbledon, and now she’s in the finals here, so it just shows that she’s a really good player.”
AloJapan.com