TORONTO – Amanda Anisimova delivered a major surprise on Saturday by defeating the second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka with a score of 6-2, 6-2, securing her spot in the semifinals of the National Bank Open. This victory marks Anisimova’s first win against a top-10 player in nearly two years. The 22-year-old Anisimova, who has previously taken a mental health break from tennis, is one of five American players who reached the quarterfinals. With two WTA Tour titles to her name, first in Bogotá in 2019 and more recently in Melbourne in 2022, she continues to impress.
“She is a fantastic player, so it is always tough to play against her,” Anisimova said about Sabalenka, who has won the Australian Open in the last two years. Anisimova improved her head-to-head record against Sabalenka to 5-2 after losing their last two encounters. “I played against her earlier this year at the Australian Open, where she was in top form,” Anisimova added. “I went in with a slightly different playing style today, and I was really happy with how I could execute that.”
Sabalenka, hailing from Belarus, struggled with eight double faults in the windy conditions, with her last mistake occurring on a crucial point to end the match. She withdrew from Wimbledon due to a shoulder injury and will also miss the upcoming Paris Olympics.
Anisimova will now face the eighth-seeded Emma Navarro in an all-American semifinal. Navarro defeated her compatriot Taylor Townsend with a score of 6-3, 7-6 (5) in the other quarterfinal match. “It was really tough,” Navarro said after the match. “The wind was swirling around.” Townsend became the first “lucky loser” to reach a WTA 1000 quarterfinal after entering the main draw as a substitute for an injured player. “This week has been amazing,” Townsend remarked.
In the evening session, the third-seeded defending champion Jessica Pegula faced Peyton Stearns in another American matchup, while the 14th-seeded Diana Shnaider from Russia played against the sixth-seeded Liudmila Samsonova, also from Russia. The five American players in the quarterfinals represent the highest number on the tour since 2001. Pegula defeated Samsonova in the final last year in Montreal.
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