Bill Simons
Wimbledon
Amanda Anisimova lost her father, her love of the moment on tour and her will to play. But she never lost her flawless technique. Her power hardly vanished. Her backhand is a WTA wonder. It has its own clean sound and is one of the best in the game. Her return is superb. Her dream flickered, but it never went away.
Tuesday she became the youngest American woman to reach the Wimbledon semis since Serena in 2004. And today, against Aryna Sabalenka, who was playing in her seventh Slam semi, Amanda played with breathtaking poise.
Little seemed to phase the 23-year-old, who’s a skilled artist. She painted Centre Court with her deep backhand strokes. Her returns astounded, her wrists created angles, her movement was smooth, she displayed variety and calm.
Never mind that a champagne cork popped by her just as she was about to serve, an errant return of serve created drama when it landed high in the Royal Box, and twice her momentum was put on pause due to English fans fainting in the midday sun.
But she retained her dominance. One reporter in Row R of the press box observed, “I’m just in love with her level. She’s got everything. It’s her first Wimbledon semi playing on Centre Court. Most players would just crumble.”
Anisimova, who had a 5-3 winning record against Aryna, convincingly collected the first set 6-4. Sabalenka had wilted in the swirling Parisian winds at the French final. Now we wondered, in today’s 87° heat, what was swirling in Aryna’s head? She howled in frustration. Amanda seemed unfazed by Sabalenka’s power. Aryna seemed destined to lose back-to-back to Americans in Slams. Madison Keys won in Melbourne. Gauff took Roland Garros. Hopes were now high that the good ol’ USA would go on to win its third consecutive Slam.
But then in the seventh game of the second set, Amanda’s level suddenly dipped. Two muffed forehands and a double fault opened the door wide as Aryna broke. Sabalenka promptly proved her mettle and marched to a 6-4 second-set win. Even the eternally placid Bjorn Borg was getting nervous.
A great match deserved a great final set. And Aryna maintained her ascendance. She immediately broke at love in the opening game of the third set. But then Amanda said, “No way!” The American broke right back, and, when Aryna made a hash of the shortest of forehands, Anisimova broke again, and went up 4-1. The Belarusian’s hair was disheveled – so was her game. Aryna later confided “Amanda just smashed my serve. She was more brave today. I was stuck in my arms…At some point, I forgot I was No.1”
Playing with the belief of a seasoned champion, Amanda hit a brilliant running backhand that brushed the outside of the titanium line. She punished Aryna with forehands, down the line or cross court, she absorbed her foe’s power, saved two break points and was within a point of a 5-1 lead.
After 2:30 Anisimova gained a championship point. But the gritty Aryna dug in, and Amanda’s glory shot, her backhand, wavered. Aryna broke to get the gripping, high-level battle back on serve.
But soon the American, who’s known for her easy power, on her fourth championship point hit an easy forehand to the open court to score, after 2:36, the win of her life, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
There was something a bit transcendent about this riveting tennis match on the most hallowed court in the world. The 23-year-old American had everything going: strokes, poise, resilience, determination and courage in the face of the world No. 1. She now hoped to join the greatest of American women tennis players – Billie Jean, Chrissie, Martina, Lindsay, Venus and Serena – by winning here in London.
She lifted her arm high and glanced to the heavens. There, we imagine, her beloved dad Constantin had to be beaming. His baby was into the Wimbledon final.
FOREVER YOUNG: Semifinalist Amanda Anisimova has repeatedly displayed her winning ways this year at Wimbledon. But she’s afraid she’s losing it.
Let us explain. The Floridian sighed: “I’m turning 24 this year. It’s a little bit scary. Everyone wants to stay 21 forever. At least I do.
“Sometimes I’m reminded that I’m getting older with each year…Time has been flying by. It kind of scares me in a way…I was used to being the young, young prodigy. Now that’s fading away. I’m not that young anymore. There are a lot of newcomers.”
FAREWELL FOG: Yesterday, we said Jannik Sinner was the least Italian player we know. Fabio Fognini has been the most Italian of the Italian players we know. He gestures, he struts, he grimaces. They should put his swagger into the Hall of Fame. He’s smug one moment and a victim the next. He’s as expressive as a mime.
Of course, one thing that’s constant with Fabio is his shotmaking flair. Whatever robotic is, Fabio is not. But now the opera is closing – the Italian man will stop singing. Yesterday the 38-year-old, who reached No. 9 in the world, and here in the first round gave Carlos Alcaraz fits, told us, “I think today is something…official. I say good-bye to everybody. It’s something that was in my mind already.”
Fognini will long stay in the mind of tennis lovers. Few strutted across tennis stages quite like the fabulous Fognini.
