Amanda Anisimova pulls upset, will face Naomi Osaka in U.S. Open semis

Amanda Anisimova got some sweet revenge on Wednesday at the U.S. Open.

Fifty-three days after the American was defeated 6-0, 6-0 by Poland's Iga Swiatek in the Wimbledon final, the No. 8 seed avenged her loss with a 6-4, 6-3 defeat of second-seeded Swiatek to advance into the semifinals in New York.

"To come back from Wimbledon like that is truly special to me," Anisimova said in her on-court interview. "I feel like I worked so hard to turn around from that, and today proved everything for me. I can do it."

Her next opponent will be Naomi Osaka, who is back in a Grand Slam semifinal for the first time in 4 1/2 years. The 23rd-seeded Japanese star earned a 6-4, 7-6 (3) victory over 11th-seeded Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic in the last quarterfinal match.

Anisimova, after a defeat where she appeared totally outmatched and became the first woman since 1988 to be double-bageled in a Grand Slam final, was decidedly the better player this time around. She faced less than half as many break points (four to nine), had 10 more winners (23-13) and less unforced errors (12 to 15).

Neither player was particularly accurate on their first serve, with Anisimova hitting 56 percent of hers compared to Swiatek's 50 percent. However, the American was far better on her second serve, winning 52 percent of her second serves while Swiatek won just 33 percent of hers.

After each player started the match by breaking the other's serve, things remained level until Anisimova broke Swiatek at 5-4 to clinch the opening set.

She was again broken to begin the second set and fell behind 2-0, but responded in a big way, winning six of the seven ensuing games from there to clinch the match and knock out the second top-four seed in this year's tournament.

"She's one of the toughest players I've ever played. I knew that I was going to have to dig really deep," Anisimova said. "It was such a fun match. I know the scoreline wasn't three sets or anything, but it truly was a battle for me."

With the victory, Anisimova is through to her second consecutive Grand Slam semifinal. Before this run, she had made just one semifinal and two quarterfinals in 24 major appearances.

Osaka, 27, extended her perfect streak in the late rounds of major events. In each of the previous four times she got to a Grand Slam quarterfinal, she won the championship: at the U.S. Open in 2018 and 2020 and the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021.

She was off the tour in 2023 while giving birth to a child, and she had failed to get past the third round in the first seven majors she played after returning to action last year.

On Wednesday, she controlled the match with steady play, compiling 30 winners and just 19 unforced errors.

Osaka fell to Muchova in straight sets during the second round of the 2024 U.S. Open.

Osaka said with a smile, "Last year she beat me here when I had one of my best outfits."

Osaka added, "It was an incredibly difficult match. I think she's one of the best players in the world. Every time I play her it's so, so difficult."

Anisimova holds a 2-0 career record against Osaka, having won in the third round of the 2022 Australian Open and the first round of the 2022 French Open.

In the other semifinal set for Thursday, No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus -- who is looking to win her third Grand Slam this year -- faces No. 4 seed Jessica Pegula, who is trying to make her second consecutive appearance in the U.S. Open final.

--Field Level Media