The thrilling US Open semifinal ended with a thrilling victory for Amanda Anisimova who secured her place in Grand Slam final for the second consecutive time.
The dramatic match stretched up to three hours between two of the game’s most powerful hitters.
Amanda scored 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 6-3 propelling the American player into her second consecutive grand slam final.
With qualifying for the final, Amanda will face defending champion Aryna Sabalenka.
The game continued till 1:00 a.m. after which the 8-seeded Anisimova reached her second straight major final.
“I wasn’t sure I would make it past the finish line and I tried to dig deep. It was a huge fight out there today,” said the 24-year-old after the gruelling victory.
After blowing the final hit, she yelled, “Let’s go.”
To Osaka, who became a four-time major champion due to an inspiring post-maternity-leave comeback, this was her first-ever loss in a Grand Slam semifinal, after having been a perfect 13-0 in the last three rounds of majors. She was positive even after the defeat.
While talking to the press, Osaka said, “I don’t feel sad. I just feel like I did the best that I could. It’s honestly kind of inspiring for me. It makes me want to train and try to get better.”
It was a display of explosive strength, Anisimova having 50 winners and Osaka 15 aces, most of them coming off of her dead-danger backhand.
The triumph of the American who took a mental health break in 2023, followed by another quarterfinal victory over Iga Swiatek, marks an astounding comeback to the top of the sport.
She now seeks her first major title against Sabalenka on Saturday, September 6, 2025.