TORONTO — Amanda Anisimova upset second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 6-2 on Saturday to succeed in the Nationwide Financial institution Open semifinals, her first victory over a top-10 participant in almost two years.
Considered one of 5 U.S. quarterfinalists, the 22-year-old Anisimova took a mental-health break from tennis final 12 months. She has two WTA Tour titles – in 2019 in Bogota and 2022 in Melbourne.
“She’s a tremendous participant, so it is at all times actually powerful taking part in in opposition to her,” Anisimova mentioned about Sabalenka, the Australian Open winner the final two years.
Anisimova improved to 5-2 in opposition to Sabalenka after shedding the earlier two matchups.
“I performed her earlier this 12 months on the Australian Open when she was on hearth,” Anisimova mentioned. “I went in with somewhat little bit of a distinct recreation plan, and I used to be actually pleased with how I used to be in a position to execute that at the moment.”
Sabalenka, from Belarus, had eight double faults in windy situations, the final at love-40 within the closing recreation. She withdrew from Wimbledon due to a shoulder harm and skipped the Paris Olympics
Anisimova will face eighth-seeded Emma Navarro in an all-American semifinal. Navarro beat fellow American Taylor Townsend 6-3, 7-6 (5).
“It was actually powerful,” Navarro mentioned. “The wind was swirling.”
Townsend was the primary “fortunate loser” to succeed in a WTA 1000 quarterfinal. She acquired into the principle draw as an harm substitute.
“This week has been superb,” Townsend mentioned.
Within the evening session, third-seeded defending champion Jessica Pegula beat Peyton Stearns 6-4, 7-5 in one other all-American matchup. No. 6 Liudmila Samsonova confronted No. 14 Diana Shnaider in an all-Russian quarterfinal within the late match.
Pegula beat Samsonova within the closing final 12 months in Montreal.
The 5 U.S. quarterfinalists are probably the most on the tour since 2001.
