The 17-year-old American Amanda Anisimova is still on the advance on the WTA tour. In Hiroshima, Anisimova reached the quarter-finals for the first time in a convincing manner.
Maybe Amanda Anisimova doesn’t need any preferential treatment: At the US Open the American with Russian roots had been given a wildcard for the main field, where she surprisingly lost to Taylor Townsend in three sets. In Hiroshima Anisimova played her way into the grid of 32 players – and played four matches in her first two matches.
6:1, 6:1, that’s the standard result for the 17-year-old – and not just against casual customers. Jana Fett has already caused Caroline Wozniacki serious problems this year, Saisai Zheng is in seventh place on the seed list in Hiroshima.
Anisimova caused a sensation in Indian Wells in the spring – when she not only beat Petra Kvitova, but reached the fourth round. This was followed by a four-month break due to an ankle injury and a comeback in San Jose. Of 13 matches on the WTA Tour, Anisimova won nine, an amazing result for her first year in the big tennis circus.
Amanda Anisimova mostly seeks her salvation on the offensive – a trait that connects her with other youngsters such as Aryna Sabalenka or US Open winner Naomi Osaka. The appearance in Japan is only the second Anisimova outside the USA. The premiere took place at an ITF tournament in Brazil, where the then 16-year-old lost to the Russian Anastasia Potapova in the final.
Several tournaments en suite are now planned for the first time in her career – the long journey should have been worthwhile after all. “It will be a new experience for me to play many events in a row,” Anisimova explained after her win over Zheng. Her next opponent in Hiroshima will be either Viktorija Golubic or Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.
Here the single tableau in Hiroshima