January 21, (THEWILL) – Amanda Anisimova ended Naomi Osaka’s title defence in the third round of the Australian Open with one of her best performances on the Tour of the women’s events.
The unseeded 20-year-old American, who is ranked 60th in the world, battled back from a set down to win 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 against the four-time Grand Slam champion. In the last 16, she will face world number one Ashleigh Barty, a local favourite.
When Osaka broke Anisimova in the first game, it appeared like she would be in for an early night, as she quickly consolidated her lead with an easy serve hold. However, the American began to feel her way into the match and missed out on a break back opportunity in the sixth game, allowing Osaka to clinch the first set 6-4.
The second set brought the match to life, with the first three games taking 15 minutes to complete due to their back-and-forth pace. Despite both players having break point opportunities, it was on serve before Anisimova broke in the fourth game.
Osaka was being outplayed by the 2019 French Open semi-finalist, who was in her greatest form currently. Anisimova kept her cool to win the set 6-3 and tie the match at one set apiece.
In the deciding set, both players were at or near their best, with the latter moments seeing some spectacular tennis. The service holds continued until Osaka squandered two match points in the 10th game on the Anisimova serve. The 13th seed was unable to capitalise, and the match was forced to a super tie-break.
Anisimova stormed out to a 3-0 lead, putting pressure on Osaka, who was still fighting to recover from the break. The American went ahead 8-4 on a shot into the net, and she held her composure to win 10-5 and advance to the fourth round for the second time.
“I’m speechless, I absolutely love playing in front of you guys [the crowd] in Melbourne, honestly it’s so much fun,” said Anisimova in her on court interview.
“I can’t stop smiling even when I’m playing, even though I should be serious, I’m just laughing with what you guys say sometimes.
“I knew I had to be playing sharp if I wanted to give myself a chance, Naomi is always going to be playing well and she’s an absolute champion. I knew I had to step up my game and try to be aggressive, I think that’s what I started doing in the second set.
“I’m so grateful I was able to play so well today and get this win, it means a lot. Stepping on to the court, all I’m thinking about is having fun, every single day here is an amazing opportunity and experience for me.”
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
