Amanda Anisimova has reached the final of the Wimbledon Championships for the first time.
The 23-year-old was competing in her first Grand Slam semi-final with the right to fight for the Venus Rosewater dish this Saturday on the line.
The American went toe-to-toe with world number one Aryna Sabalenka for two and half hours in the blazing British sunshine on Thursday afternoon.
Despite the Belarusian being the favourite to take victory, it was Amanda Anisimova who prevailed 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 to advance to the championship match at SW19.
Amanda Anisimova hits her backhand at the same speed as Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon
Sabalenka, a three-time Grand Slam champion, is used to being the dictator in many of the matches she plays.
However, that is not the case when she plays Anisimova, who can absorb her opponent’s pace and produce plenty of speed from her own groundstrokes.
The world number 12 can do this incredibly well off the backhand, which she was using to great effect by troubling Sabalenka with not only her power but also the acute angles she was finding on the court.
This was identified by BBC commentator Tracy Austin, who said Anisimova’s backhand equalled the speed of the ATP’s top seed, Jannik Sinner.
“We’ve talked about how powerful her backhand is,” Austin said. “Of the eight semi-finalists in the men’s and women’s draw, she equals Jannik Sinner with how fast it is. That is impressive.”
Tracy Austin is impressed with Amanda Anisimova’s improved movement on court
Anisimova went from failing to qualify for Wimbledon in 2024, to reaching the final a year later.
She has made significant improvements over the past 12 months and her hard work has been illustrated by her results.
Anisimova claimed her first WTA 1000 title in Qatar back in February and reached the final of Queen’s Club Championships in the buildup to Wimbledon.
Tracy Austin has credited Anisimova’s success, especially at Wimbledon, due to her improved movement.
“She has really improved her mobility as well, she’s worked on trying to become a little more athletic,” the two-time US Open winner said. “We know she plays this style where she likes to take the return early and she’s got fantastic hands.
“It allows her to take the ball and redirect it from cross court to up the line or anywhere she wants with accuracy. But because she is moving better she is even that much more lethal on the move.”
