Anisimova Advances to Wimbledon Final, Set to Face Swiatek or Bencic

LONDON: In a stunning display of skill, Amanda Anisimova secured her place in the Wimbledon final by defeating world number one Aryna Sabalenka with a score of 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 on Thursday at Centre Court.

Anisimova’s victory keeps alive the possibility of an American sweep of women’s Grand Slam titles this year, following Madison Keys’ win at the Australian Open and Coco Gauff’s triumph at the French Open.

The 23-year-old Anisimova, competing in her first major semi-final since the 2019 French Open, began the match assertively, clinching the opening set after a double fault from Sabalenka.

Sabalenka, the world’s top-ranked player, demonstrated her prowess by breaking serve to take a 4-3 lead in the second set, ultimately winning the set to even the match.

Following two closely contested sets, the pair traded breaks early in the deciding set, but Anisimova proved too strong for Sabalenka, securing her spot in the final against either Iga Swiatek or Belinda Bencic.

Anisimova lauded Sabalenka’s talent and expressed her excitement about reaching the Wimbledon final.

“This honestly feels surreal. Aryna is such a formidable opponent, and I was giving it my all out there. I’m not sure how I managed to win,” Anisimova commented.

“She is an incredible athlete and an inspiration to me, as well as many others.

“We’ve had numerous challenging matches. To emerge victorious today and reach the Wimbledon final is truly special. The atmosphere was amazing. Despite her being the number one player, I felt a lot of support. A big thank you to everyone.”

Sabalenka, who has suffered defeats in the finals of both the Australian and French Opens, missed her chance to become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2014-15 to reach four consecutive major finals.