By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Sunday, August 11, 2024
Amanda Anisimova broke four times stopping Emma Navarro 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 to reach her first WTA 1000 final in Toronto and return to the Top 50.
Photo credit: Vaughn Ridley/Getty
It’s never too late to reclaim your game.
A revitalized Amanda Anisimova slashed an ace on match point subduing Emma Navarro 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 securing a spot in her first career WTA 1000 final in Toronto today.
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In a match of WTA 1000 semifinal débutantes, Anisimova withstood a six-game slide, a tenacious Navarro, a blister on her left foot, and a tricky wind to advance to her fourth career final—and first since the Melbourne 250 event in January of 2022.
The 22-year-old Anisimova plays for her third career title tomorrow against defending champion Jessica Pegula.
In tonight's second semifinal, Pegula defeated dangerous left-hander Diana Shnaider, 6-4, 6-3.
The third-seeded Pegula raised her Canadian Open record to 16-2, only Monica Seles owns a higher career winning percentage at the Canadian Open.
It’s been a break-out week for aggressive baseliner Anisimova, who has hit through all comers to return to the Top 50.
Today, Anisimova converted four of 11 break points and cracked shots with conviction on pivotal points.
It’s the first time Anisimova has scored four Top 20 wins in a single tournament in her career.
A declarative week that included straight-sets wins over Caroline Dolehide, Daria Kasatkina, Anna Kalinskaya and two-time Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka before beating Navarro in three sets, Anisimova has rocketed up the rankings from No. 132 last week to No. 49 in the live rankings.
To put that rise in perspective: A year ago at this time, Anisimova was ranked No. 243.
Taking one of her first sustained breaks from the sport a couple of years ago helped Anisimova find the clarity and purpose she was seeking.
The 22-year-old Anisimova, who reached the semifinals at Roland Garros as a 17-year-old in 2019, said tennis had become “unbearable” for her after experiencing burn-out since the summer of 2022.
“I wasn't really feeling great in October of 2022 I think,” Anisimova shared earlier this season. “So it was quite a while. It took a long time for me to make that decision. Obviously it's a big decision to step away from the game I think at any point.
“It doesn't matter if it's in the middle of the season or the preseason because we really never get time off. Yeah, it just didn't seem like I would be able to push through it because I just wasn't enjoying it, and I was just, like, I just need a break from all of this. I was lucky that I was able to do that. So, yeah, I think it was very helpful for me, but it did take a long time to actually make that decision, yeah.”
Stepping away from the sport allowed Anisimova to spend time with her family and friends, take art classes and express her creativity through painting and volunteer at an animal shelter.
Returning revitalized, Anisimova has schooled several Top 20 opponents this week. And even during that six-game slide today, she seemed to enjoy facing the mid-match challenges.
“I think after the break I felt very refreshed and just had a different kind of head space, like more clarity,” Anisimova said. “I just was very burnt out before I took the break, so coming back I was enjoying it a lot more, and the training and all the process, I had like a different perspective for it.
“Yeah, I think that I just gained a different perspective when it comes to traveling and the training process. As I said. I'm just really happy to be back, and I think taking the break really just helped me, because I honestly never took a break that was longer than like two weeks in my life, so I think I just needed that as a human being to just rest for once and just let my body recover.”
The start of today’s first semifinal was delayed about 55 minutes due to rain.
When play start, Anisimova thundered through 10 consecutive points, pummeling drives in powering out to a 3-0 lead.
In her quarterfinal conquest of two-time Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka, Anisimova beat the Belarusian in backhand-to-backhand exchanges and fired her forehand down the line with command as well.
Today, Anisimova was doing damage off both wings early. Slamming a forehand swing volley, Anisimova followed, hammering a crosscourt backhand to hold for 4-1.
Battering the Hobart champion backhand behind the baseline, Anisimova blocked a high forehand volley for triple set point.
On her third set point, Anisimova induced a netted backhand to snatch a one-set lead after 28 minutes.
It was a set of declarative first-strike tennis. Anisimova won 20 of 23 points played on her serve in the opening set, including 12 of 13 first-serve points.
The pace and depth of Anisimova’s drives was pushing Navarro back behind the baseline. During an eight-minute test, Navarro saved three break points. Anisimova spread the court cleverly with a diagonal forehand winner for a fourth break point then broke for a 2-1 second-set lead.
The 15th-ranked Navarro began dropping back and playing deeper down the middle denying Anisimova access to angles. Anisimova double-faulted back the break in the fourth game.
Finding her range, Navarro cruised through 13 of 15 points in a three-game surge to go up 4-2.
Navarro held for 5-2 then Anisimova took a medical timeout for treatment of a blister on the bottom of her left foot. When play resumed, Navarro bolted a backhand down the line for set points. Anisimova bounced a drop shot before the net as Navarro seized her fifth straight game to force a third set after 69 minutes of play.
Showing her appetite for the fight was still strong, Anisimova pounded a forehand winner into the corner. That strike stopped her six-game slide as Anisimova held to open the final set.
In a test of wills that spanned more than 11 minutes and feature several spiking wind gusts wreaking havoc with the ball, Navarro fought off three break points.
Dialing in her two hander, Anisimova hit a diagonal backhand for a fourth break point then cracked a two-hander down the line breaking for 2-1 after 89 minutes.
In a spirited sixth game that proved to be a test of managing wind and footwork, Anisimova saved a break point, eventually holding for 4-2 on a netted return.
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In her first Tour-level semifinal since 2022, how would the 22-year-old Anisimova hold her nerve at closing time?
Anisimova answered that question taking the short precise preparation steps required to navigate the now swirling wind.
Continuing to accelerate through her shots, Anisimova banged out her fourth break stretching her lead to 5-2.
Staring into the service box, Anisimova slammed her fourth ace to close in one hour, 55 minutes.