Anisimova stages Wimbledon ambush of Sabalenka

Amanada Anisimova upset world no. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 on Thursday to book a dream spot in the Wimbledon final to deny the world No. 1 a fourth consecutive title match at a major.

The winner is the first American to reach the title match in SW19 since Serena Williams six years ago.

She will wait for a Saturday opponent as Swiss Belinda Bencic faces five-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek in the second semi-final.

Anisimova, a Roland Garros semi-finalist as a teenager in 2019, has taken time away from tennis for mental health and injuries. Her comeback to form occurred with perfect timing as she won in  2:38.

Sabalenka has not lost all three of her Wimbledon semi-finals but will remain on the top WTA ranking.

“This doesn’t feel real right now,” Anisimova, 23, said. “Aryna is a tough competitor. I was absolutely dying out there

“I don’t know how I pulled this out. I’ve had so many tough battles with Aryna – the American now leads 6-3 in the series.

“To be in the final is so incredibly special; what a journey’s it’s been the past two weeks.”

“Losing sucks, you always feel like you want to die, you don’t want to
exist anymore, and this is the end of your life,” Sabalenka said.

“But then you sit there a little bit, and you think about what you could have done differently on the match.

“You see stuff where you weren’t at your best, you see that the other player performed much better.

“You can see things better. When you get to the last stages, you think that you’re getting close to your
dream.

“Then you lose the match, and you feel like, okay, this is the end.”

As a result of her win, Anisimova will move from world No. 12 into the ranking top 10 for the first time.

Anisimova made a recovery in the deciding third, set after losing the opening game to love but breaking straight back.

She went up a double break for 3-1 and missed on a first match point while dropping serve in the ninth game.

But the 13th seed never stopped battling and wrapped up the biggest win of her career on her fourth winning chance with a return to the corner which Sabalenka could not touch. 

The opening set was twice disrupted by punters in the stands requiring medical aid in what London would call “heatwave” temperatures in the high 20s Celsius.

The interruptions did not distract Anisimova, who secured the break in the final game of the 56-minute chapter.

The second set drama was confined mainly to the court as top seed Sabalenla secured a break for 4-3 as her opponent made a nervous double-fault.

Sabalenka took quick advantage for 5-3 sealed with an ace.

But Anisimova put up an almighty fight in the ensuing game, saving four set points to hold for 4-5; Sabalenka squared the sets moments later as she fired a service winner to convert on her fifth set-winning chance.

“This is such a relief,” Anisinova said. “If you had told me I’d be in the Wimbledon final I would not have believed you. It’s been a one-year turnaround since coming back.

“So many players dream of competing on this incredible court. To be in the final is indescribably, honestly.”