Anisimova frustrates Swiatek of the U.S. Open quarterfinals to avenge Wimbledon’s losses
NEW YORK (AP) – Amanda Anisimova defeated Iga Swiatek 6-4, 6-3 in the quarterfinals of Usopen on Wednesday, and in less than two months, losing to the six-time Grand Slam champion in the Wimbledon finals 6-0, 6-0.
Anisimova of the 8th seed entered her third major semifinal and finished the first in Flushing Meadows.
“It’s really special for me to come back from Wimbledon,” said Anisimova, 24, who was born in New Jersey and raised in Florida. “I feel like I’m trying to turn around very hard. … It’s really special today.”
The strong stroke and balance she showed at Arthur Ashe Stadium vs. No. 2 Swiatek (2022 U.S. Open champion) is in stark contrast to what happened at the All England Club Center Court on July 12.
That championship game lasted only 57 minutes, and Anisimova could only win 24 points that day, this time she was overshadowed midway through the first set. At the trophy ceremony in Wimbledon, Anismova cried in the runner-up. On Wednesday, she was all smiling while speaking to thousands of supportive audiences who kept interrupting her for cheering interviews on the court.
“What I’m having here is so special, and I’ve been spending my whole life here,” Anisimova said.
On Thursday, Anisimova will try her second straight major final. She will face four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka (who eliminated Coco Goff on Monday), or Karolina Muchova in the semi-finals.
After a game against Swiatek in Wednesday’s quarterfinals, Anisimova may be thinking: “Oh no. No.”
That’s because Anisimova first served and was immediately broken when she lost three-pointers in a row (a tennis ball).
But Anisimova exploded immediately, and soon it was a command that touched her strong, flat ground, which eventually led to 23 championships, accumulating 10 more than Swiatek. Anisimova also performed very cleanly, causing only 12 unmandatory errors.
In the second set, Anisimova fell behind again, this time 2-0. But she reorganized again and quickly gained the upper hand. Swiatek is a person who looks increasingly frustrated, shook his head or dives between angles, spread his arms, seeking advice from the coach, and then leaning back in her conversion chair as if thinking that she can do something different.
This gave Anisimova a victory when Swiatek reached Trail 5-3 in the second set.
“From the beginning, I was trying to fire myself,” Anisimova said. “She is one of the toughest players I’ve ever played. I know I’m going to have to dig deeper.”
