AMANDA ANISIMOVA aims for revenge against Iga Swiatek in Wednesday’s US Open quarter-finals following her disastrous double-bagel defeat to the Polish star in the Wimbledon final.
The business end of the season’s final Grand Slam offers Anisimova redemption at Flushing Meadows with her 6-0, 6-0 Wimbledon drubbing still fresh in memory.
That defeat marked only the third time a Grand Slam singles final has ended in a dreaded double-bagel.
Second seed Swiatek entered the US Open as the bookmakers’ favourite after following her maiden Wimbledon title with victory at the Cincinnati Open WTA 1000 event.
The 24-year-old six-time Grand Slam champion moved smoothly into the last eight by dispatching Russian 13th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 6-1 in Monday’s fourth round.
Anisimova advanced to Wednesday’s quarter-final with a lopsided 6-0, 6-3 defeat of Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia, leaving her positive about her rematch with Swiatek.
“At this stage of the game you’re going to play a really tough opponent regardless,“ Anisimova said.
“So to be able to have a rematch or to be able to face her again and give myself another chance, I’m really, really happy about that.”
Wednesday’s other women’s quarter-final sees two-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka face 11th-seeded Czech Karolina Muchova.
Japanese star Osaka enjoys her deepest Grand Slam run since returning to tennis after her daughter’s birth in 2023, showing near-best form in a confident 6-3, 6-2 defeat of third seed Coco Gauff.
In the men’s quarter-finals, Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti faces the unenviable task of halting compatriot Jannik Sinner’s serene progress towards defending his US Open title.
Musetti has lost both previous meetings against Sinner, who executed an awe-inspiring 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 drubbing of big-serving Alexander Bublik on Monday.
Bublik described Sinner as “like an AI-generated player” after his near-flawless performance from the reigning champion.
Musetti understands the scale of his quarter-final challenge against the world’s best player.
Wednesday’s other men’s quarter-final pits in-form Australian eighth seed Alex de Minaur against Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime.
De Minaur has lost all five previous Grand Slam singles quarter-finals and aims to break that pattern against the 25th seed. – AFP
