Andy Roddick has given his assessment of the women’s US Open final, due to be contested between Aryna Sabalenka and Amanda Anisimova later tonight.
It marks an intriguing clash between two great ball strikers, and sees a rematch of their Wimbledon semi-final from earlier this summer.
That recent showdown, which saw the American come out on top, along with her superior head-to-head record, has led many to back her for an unlikely triumph on Saturday night.
And yet, it feels unwise to bet against Aryna Sabalenka, given that she is the top-ranked player in the world for a reason, and by far the most dominant player in the world on this surface.
Andy Roddick, using all this crucial context, has given his thoughts on the clash.
Andy Roddick previews the women’s US Open final
Speaking on his Served with Andy Roddick podcast, he admitted: “Aryna Sabalenka is gonna be, you know, one of the all-time greats. You know, if your list is ten players, she’s quickly working her way up that list.
“Lost a couple of Grand Slam finals this year, maybe exercising some of her own demons, and she will get the chance against Amanda Anisimova in a rematch of their Wimbledon semi-final.
“Anisimova is gritty. She is tough. She’s in this thing for real.
“Like, I think Sabalenka’s the favourite, and don’t listen to me because I’ve missed every single pick on the women’s side for, like, this entire tournament, but… number one in the world, you know, is consistently there.
“This is gonna be a big one, you know, their match at Wimbledon went pretty deep. I think it was four in the third for Anisimova.”
Sabalenka has been told what she must do in the final to beat Anisimova, which she worryingly struggled with despite her semi-final win over Jessica Pegula.
What Aryna Sabalenka said about facing Amanda Anisimova in the US Open final
Speaking ahead of tonight’s US Open final, Sabalenka seemed far more assured about what needs to happen to ensure she claims the title.
In fact, she revealed that her game plan for the upcoming clash was forged from her Wimbledon loss to Amanda Anisimova, stating: “I think I have to trust myself, and I have to go after my shots.
“I felt like in that match at Wimby, I was doubting a lot of my decisions, and that was the main thing that was bringing a lot of unforced errors.
“I gave her a lot of opportunities, and of course, she played incredible tennis, but I feel like I had my opportunities.
“I didn’t use them, and I feel like the key for me is going to be to just go out there, fight, but trust my decisions and go after my shots.”
