Anisimova rebounds to rival Swiatek and send Rybakina to WTA Finals semi-finals – Tennis Now
Amanda Anisimova overturned a set deficit in Riyadh on Monday.
The WTA Finals rookie has won 11 of his last 13 games, knocking out compatriot Madison Keys (3-6, 6-3, 6-2) and setting up a winner-takes-all battle with Iga Swiatek in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.
“It’s quite difficult to adapt, especially when you lose your first match,” Anisimova said of her WTA Finals experience so far. “This is a new experience for me. It’s not easy, but I’m trying to adapt to it, fight hard and do the best I can.”
Keys did not appear to be sick during the match, but she refused to shake Anisimova’s hand afterward, apparently because she did not want to spread the disease.
Keys led 3-1 in the second set but was broken in three consecutive games after Anisimova won seven straight games.
Next, there was a temporary reprieve by holding serve, but Keys broke serve again and the score reached 4-1. Anisimova remained unbreakable in the final set and saved two break points in the 1 hour and 45 minutes of the service game.
“I definitely had to make some adjustments,” Anisimova said. “I’m trying not to pursue it as much as I did in the beginning.”
Anisimova was broken 3 times in the first set and 1 time in the second set and did not lose serve in the deciding set. This year she improved her record to 14-3 in the deciding set, compared with 4-8 last season and 34-42 in all seasons before this year.
Anisimova defeated Keys in their first meeting, making Elena Rybakina the winner of the Serena Williams division. The former Wimbledon champion also turned things around on Monday, rallying from a set down to beat six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek 3-6, 6-1, 6-0.
It was a stunning comeback day in Riyadh that sent shockwaves through the WTA’s end-of-season tournament.
Rybakina will meet Keys in a deadlock match on Wednesday, while Anisimova will meet Swiatek for the third time, having split two encounters at Grand Slams this year.
Who can forget Swiatek’s performance when she beat Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 in the Wimbledon final? It could have sent Anisimova spiraling, but instead it became a source of inspiration. She reached her second straight Grand Slam final at the U.S. Open, where she bounced back to take pole position.
“It will be a good challenge and I’m looking forward to it,” Anisimova said.
Although she lost the final to Aryna Sabalenka, the American showed her perseverance during her best season on tour, posting her first top-10 and top-five finishes while also claiming two 1000-level titles.
Swiatek must shake off a tough defeat before facing Anisimova. She lost her mind on Rybakina when she saw her four-game winning streak against her opponent evaporate in a swirling two-set storm.
The winner of the rubber match will advance as the second-place finisher in the Serena Williams division to face the eventual winner of the division, Steffi Graf.
