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Amanda Anisimova has lit up women’s singles semifinals day at Wimbledon by stunning top seed Aryna Sabalenka to reach Saturday’s final. She'll face Iga Świątek, who cruised past Belinda Bencic in the other semifinal.
Anisimova, the U.S. star and 13th seed, beat the world No. 1 Sabalenka after three compelling sets on Centre Court (6-4, 4-6, 6-4). Świątek (8) then demolished the unseeded Bencic (6-2, 6-0) to secure her spot alongside Anisimova in the final.
The mixed doubles final will complete today’s order of play on Wimbledon’s primary show court.
There is no room for error. Winning margins are fine and the path to victory gets more intense with each passing year. On a beautifully manicured surface, competitors express themselves through their strokes all over Wimbledon.
“Every year people really push because they know it’s happening. There’s a community edge to it but then there are people who are really competitive,” Kimberley Salmassian said during an interview in south-west London. “The ones who are competitive are very conscious of who they feel they’ve got to beat from last year.”
While 256 of the best tennis players in the world face off in pursuit of the men’s and women’s singles titles, 60 businesses in SW19 (the famous postcode for the Championships) take part in the annual Wimbledon Village Tennis Windows Competition, set up by Salmassian in 2013.
Shops, restaurants, pubs, cafes and other local businesses produce ornate window displays not just to delight the thousands of tennis tourists who wander up and down Church Road, but to win.
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Both of Thursday’s Wimbledon women’s semifinals were halted by stoppages in their first sets, due to spectators being taken ill in the stands.
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka had saved two break points to force deuce against Amanda Anisimova, the No 13 seed, with the scoreline at 2-3 in the first set when play first came to a halt on Centre Court.
A spectator was seen to be in need of assistance, and Sabalenka responded by bringing a bottle of water and an ice pack to the section of the crowd in the East Stand, where the spectator was sitting, while stewards rushed to provide umbrellas for the member of the crowd. Centre Court applauded the No 1 seed for her quick reaction.
Umpire Damien Dumusois instructed both players to take a seat courtside while the unwell spectator was tended to before the players took back to the court following a six-minute stoppage.
A similar incident occurred during Iga Świątek’s semifinal against Belinda Bencic, with the five-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 1 leading 3-0. Play was again paused for several minutes, with the players alternating between shadow swings in the sun and standing in the shade to stay ready for action.
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Both Wimbledon women’s semifinals halted due to unwell supporters on Centre Court
Her reaction after the match said it all…
What a special moment for Amanda Anisimova, advancing to the Final at Wimbledon.
Amanda Anisimova has arrived.
The former teen sensation, who spent several years in the tennis wilderness following the sudden death of her father and coach when she was 17, upset the world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 under a broiling sun on Centre Court Thursday to make her first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon. She also becomes the first American finalist at Wimbledon since Serena Williams.
In a duel of power, periods of inconsistency and tight games at important times, Anisimova kept her nerve when the match was on the line to keep Sabalenka from making the only major final she has never played.
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After David Pel and Rinky Hijikata faced double match point in their third-set tiebreak against No. 1 seeds Marcelo Arévalo and Mate Pavić, they stormed back by rattling off four straight points capped off by this electric rally to pull off the stunning upset.
Check out the electric scene on No. 1 court:
Despite her surely frustrating loss in the semifinals today, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka still had the shot of the day for Thursday.
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Mohit K.: Anisimova’s body language is so entertaining. I’m convinced she’s lost all confidence and then she turns her frustration into insane stretches of play. Excited for the Final!
Tony T.: Quite the match! You could feel the tension from the very beginning. Felt like more errors than winners with both players going for the big shot throughout. What a backhand Anisimova has!
John F.: It's been great seeing Anisimova turn around her game and become a threat at the top level of the game.
Anonymous: Amanda’s life story is so moving. Who she is today is someone who’s taken on the adversity/pain and grown/ matured as a result. During the on-court interview, she looked happy, relaxed, grateful. Loved references to her family. Her older sister has been a rock through it all.
That was as comprehensive as semifinal victories get, so let's see what Iga Świątek made of it as she spoke in her on-court interview:
“I never even dreamt that it would be possible for me to play in the final,” she said. “I'm super excited and proud of myself and tennis keeps surprising me. I thought I'd lived everything and experienced everything. I didn't experience playing well on grass, that's the first time and I really enjoyed it. I'm so excited.
“Every point is different, every match I adjust my game. I'm serving really well and I feel really confident and it's working so I'll keep doing that.
“I like to keep my routines so I'm listening to AC/DC, Guns N Roses and Led Zeppelin before the match. Everybody is asking me if I listen to that all the time. It's just pre-match to pump myself up. Off the court I have more of a pop, jazz taste.
“I don't think I played Amanda (Anisimova) in WTA, we played in juniors. She can play amazing tennis, she has a tough game and is fast. We'll have to be ready for fast shots and for her being proactive. I'm going to focus on myself. I'll prepare tomorrow as before any other match.’
Iga Świątek will take on Amanda Anisimova in a first-ever career meeting between the pair.
We can't wait.
FINAL: Świątek 6-2, 6-0 Bencic
How about that for a statement win?
Świątek knocks out the Olympic champion and wins this contest on her second match point.
It looked a forgone conclusion a while ago and through no fault of Bencic's, either. Świątek was just that dominant.
Świątek 6-2, 5-0* Bencic
And she held that service game with an unfortunate slip for Bencic preventing her from reaching a return.
This has been so dominant that Amanda Anisimova must be watching on with a good degree of fear.
It's so composed from Świątek.
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Świątek 6-2, *4-0 Bencic
We're moving towards what looks like an inevitable conclusion in this match as Świątek lands another break.
The way she has built momentum throughout the rounds here at Wimbledon has been impressive off the back of defeat at the French Open, where she was defending champion.
If she keeps playing like this, she'll be in with a shot of her first SW19 title.
Nbarrett: I lived in England for 12 years (1990s – early aughts) and we rarely experienced this kind of sustained heat. I remember bringing a warm jacket when I attended the tournament. My friends there tell me the climate really has changed. More sun, higher temps. The AC business is booming. My heart goes out to the spectators who are lucky enough to get a Centre Court seat but then sit for hours in the sun. And to the athletes. I cannot imagine playing with such intensity under the hot sun.
Anonymous: Sitting in direct sunlight for hours, even at 82 degrees, can take a toll on anyone of any age.
Joe F.: Goes to show how well the players are doing by playing so well in direct sunlight.
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Both Wimbledon women’s semifinals halted due to unwell supporters on Centre Court
Świątek 6-2, 3-0* Bencic
There's not much Bencic can do to stem the flow of points headed Świątek's way here — she's putting on a masterclass.
That was a game that lasted fewer minutes than the number of points she needed to win to take it.
Świątek 6-2, *2-0 Bencic
We're just 51 minutes into this match and Iga Świątek is flying.
It already looks like there's no stopping her as she's well on her way to taking this second set with another break.
She's hit four return winners. The onus is on Bencic to halt her progress.
Granollers/Zeballos 3-6, 4-6 Glasspool/Cash
Nice and tidy for the No. 5 seed duo of Lloyd Glasspool and Julian Cash in their men's doubles semifinal against No. 4 seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos.
The British pair breaks serve twice en route to a win in straight sets and will now not only be heavily favored against unseeded David Pel and Rinky Hijikata in the final but also surely have the crowd at their backs on home soil.
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Świątek 6-2, 1-0* Bencic
She's back on the board in the second set with a hold but it wasn't all plain sailing there for Świątek.
There was a wobble in the middle of that game as she made back-to-back double faults before eventually holding from 40-40.
An early break for Bencic would really have changed the tempo of this set.
Bencic wants to redirect forehand-to-forehand rallies at the first opportunity, because Świątek's forehand is the heaviest and probably the best in the women's game when it is firing.
Bencic is taking the ball down the line to set up a backhand-to-backhand exchange, because Bencic's backhand is the flattest and probably the best in the women's game when it is on, next to Amanda Anisimova's.
That makes Świątek's backhand down the line (back into Bencic's forehand) a crucial shot for her. How well she hits it is also a good barometer for how she is feeling on the court.
The one she cracked on to the sideline late in the first set suggests she is feeling more than good, and Bencic has little answer to her at the moment.
Świątek 6-2, *0-0 Bencic
The momentum is with the five-time Grand Slam winner now.
Świątek has been playing some lovely attacking tennis and she gets a late break in the set to wrap it up and take the lead.
She is dropping off a touch at the baseline when Bencic is serving and it seems to be working for her.
