Amanda Anisimova Beats Iga Swiatek to Reach WTA Finals Semifinals
Amanda Anisimova staged an impressive comeback on Wednesday, defeating Iga Swiatek 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 6-2 to advance to the last four of the WTA Finals in Riyadh.
The American, making her debut at the tournament, finished second in the Serena Williams Group behind Elena Rybakina. Rybakina completed round-robin play with a flawless 3-0 record after a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Russian alternate Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Anisimova has been in stellar form this season, improving her three-set record to 15-3 and claiming her 10th top-10 win of the year.
“It’s so funny, my mom keeps telling me: ‘You know you’ve won so many three-set matches this year?’ I was actually thinking about that. Against Iga today it was so, so tough, but honestly, I enjoyed it,” said Anisimova, who reached the finals at Wimbledon and the US Open this season.
“I think I was just going for my game more today, compared to the previous days. I think I was holding back a little bit in my last few matches. I just gave it my best shot today.”
Swiatek and Anisimova had split their two previous encounters, with Swiatek winning the Wimbledon final and Anisimova taking revenge in the US Open quarter-finals.
Author’s Summary
Anisimova’s resilient comeback and confident play in Riyadh showcase her growth as a top competitor, securing her semifinal berth at the WTA Finals.