Amanda Anisimova avenges 6-0, 6-0 Wimbledon final humiliation, beats Iga Swiatek in straight sets to enter US Open semis

For Amanda Anisimova, life came full circle in less than seven weeks. She delivered one of the most striking comebacks of the season by toppling second seed Iga Swiatek in straight sets at the US Open on Wednesday to book her place in the semi-finals, avenging a painful Wimbledon final loss. Amanda Anisimova of the U.S. celebrates winning her quarter-final match against Poland's Iga Swiatek(REUTERS)

The American eighth seed, who was handed a crushing 6-0, 6-0 defeat by Swiatek in the Wimbledon final in the second week of July, showed remarkable resilience and form on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court on Thursday (September 4), turning the tables with a 6-4, 6-3 victory in a tense one-hour and 36-minute encounter.

“This means everything to me,” said Anisimova. “To come back from what happened at Wimbledon like that… it’s really special. I’ve worked so hard to bounce back mentally and physically.”

Swiatek, who had entered the tournament as the odds-on favourite following back-to-back titles at Wimbledon and the Cincinnati Open, was aiming for her seventh Grand Slam title and a second US Open crown. But the Polish star faltered under pressure, particularly on serve, managing just a 50% first-serve success rate and winning only 10 of 30 points on her second serve.

"I couldn't win today's match playing like that," Swiatek admitted. "Amanda was so aggressive on return, and my serve just wasn’t there. Everything about her game today was completely different from Wimbledon."

The match began with Swiatek asserting early control by breaking Anisimova in the first game, but the American immediately broke back to level the set. Anisimova faced pressure again in the fifth game, fending off two break points before holding serve to edge ahead 3-2.

The critical moment of the first set came in the tenth game. Swiatek’s serve once again faltered, and at 15-40, she sprayed a forehand long to gift Anisimova the set.

In the second set, Swiatek tried to regain momentum with an early break and a 2-0 lead. But Anisimova responded with equal intensity, breaking back and capitalising on Swiatek’s inconsistent serving.

With the score at 3-3, a fortuitous net cord helped Anisimova gain the upper hand, before Swiatek double-faulted on break point to hand the American a chance to serve for the match.

Anisimova surged to 40-0, earning three match points. Swiatek saved two, but on the third, yet another net cord — this time bouncing out of Swiatek’s reach — sealed the stunning upset.

The victory marks a redemptive high point for Anisimova, whose loss at Wimbledon had made her only the third player in Grand Slam history to lose a final without winning a single game.

The 24-year-old will now face either two-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka or Czech 11th seed Karolina Muchova in Thursday’s semi-final as she continues her quest for a maiden Grand Slam title.

“This was a battle from start to finish,” said Anisimova. “But I knew if I stayed focused and trusted my game, I could turn things around.”

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