She’s done it.
Nearly eight weeks after her devastating 6-0, 6-0 loss to Iga Swiatek in the Wimbledon singles final, Amanda Anisimova is back in another Grand Slam final. The American defeated Naomi Osaka 6-7 (4), 7-6 (3), 6-3 in what was easily one of, if not the best, matches of the tournament.
Over the course of two hours and 56 minutes, both women played a match so down to the wire, it was nearly impossible to predict who would emerge victorious. The battle for a spot in the finals finished at nearly one in the morning, with Anisimova emerging victorious after three grueling sets.
In a time when both players were looking to overcome heartbreaking defeats, Osaka and Anisimova played their hearts out. Shot for shot, serve for serve, both were unrelenting in pushing each other to the brink if the apparent frustration from both sides of the net was any indication. Osaka struck first, taking the first set after failing to serve for the set at 5-4.
As the match headed into a tiebreak, she took a deep breath and planted her feet. She led for a majority of the match up until that point, and she was determined to prove why. Osaka rushed out to a 6-1 lead, relying on a big first serve and unrelenting defense from the baseline to close out the set.
Anisimova came into the second set looking to get herself back in the match. She looked to be going in the right direction after breaking Osaka in the opening game off a backhand winner, but it didn’t stick for long as Osaka broke right back off a wide forehand hit by Anisimova at 40-30.
The match was as physically intense as it was mentally, with both players vocally encouraging themselves after winning crucial points while simultaneously punishing themselves after an unforced error.
The American came to life at 4-4, clawing her way back down from 0-40 to break Osaka for a 5-4 lead. Osaka was left searching for answers, tossing an irritated shrug towards her box after Anisimova placed a well-timed forehand winner cross-court. An unforced error from Osaka gave Anisimova the break to serve for the set, but of course, that position was never guaranteed in this match.
A double fault from Anisimova gave Osaka the break back, and the two headed into familiar territory as a second tiebreaker loomed on the horizon. This time, it was all Anisimova.
Osaka mishit four straight points in the opening points of the tiebreaker, failing to adapt to Anisimova’s hard-hitting baseline play. The eighth seed had Osaka running for nearly every point, eventually ending the set after Osaka sent a forehand into the net.
By the time it came to play the third set, it was as if a switch had flipped for Anisimova. She played a bigger, more confident game while going for larger backhands and faster first serves, a considerable feat given she was two hours and 20 minutes into the match. The American’s forehand made the difference, hitting two powerful crosscourt shots off of Osaka’s second serve, one of which Osaka hit into the net at break point.
At 12:29 AM, Anisimova finally held the reins. But it wasn’t over yet.
While serving for the match at 5-3, the World No. 9 had a glint in her eye. She was ready to close it out, but Osaka wasn’t ready to hand it over so easily. Anisimova took an early lead, hitting a stunning backhand down the line that Osaka could do nothing but watch. What was left of the crowd was cheering, encouraging her to finish it off.
The next rally led to an overhit forehand by Anisimova, which she quickly came back from after blasting a first serve and another impeccable backhand down the line for two match points. It looked like it was Anisimova’s for the taking. But nerves are a thing of beauty.
Whether it was the excitement of the crowd or her own eagerness to close out the match, Anisimova lost sight of her momentum for just a moment, nearly letting it slip between her fingers. She hit a double fault. She hit a backhand into the net after that. And suddenly, it was deuce.
A massive forehand return from Osaka that nearly had Anisimova on her knees gave the 23rd seed a break point. Anisimova saved it, going on to hit a forehand winner down the line with Osaka in splits to give the American match point. One powerful first serve and a decisive inside-out forehand later, Anisimova was into her first-ever U.S. Open final.
“It was a really tough match,” Anisimova said. “Most of the time, I thought that it’s gonna slip away from me, and I’m not gonna make it into the final. So, at some points, I was trying to accept that, as tough as it was. In the later moments of the second set, I was trying to remind myself what was on the line and the opportunity I had.”
On Friday afternoon, Anisimova will play for a chance at the U.S. Open title against World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who came back from a set down earlier in the evening in her own epic against fourth seed Jessica Pegula. Anisimova upset Sabalenka in three sets during their last meeting in the Wimbledon semifinals.
“[She’s] the number one player in the world,” she said. “She’s playing amazing tennis. It’s going to be a really tough match and a battle. I’m excited. Every single time we’ve played, it’s been great.”
The U.S. Open singles tournaments runs until September 7. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated’s Serve On SI for all of your tennis style news from the court and beyond.
Burna Boy joins On as Clubhouse President.
Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul out of Laver Cup, Davis Cup.
Inside lululemon’s exclusive pop-up event at the US Open.
Novak Djokovic highlighted his daughter’s birthday with a viral KPop dance.
Interview: Patrick Mouratoglou reflects on his coaching tenue with Naomi Osaka.
AloJapan.com