LONDON — Amanda Anisimova dug deep at Wimbledon on Thursday, overcoming a shaky stretch in the deciding set to defeat compatriot Sofia Kenin 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(10-3) in a spirited all-American second-round battle.
The match pitted two American players in their twenties — both born to Russian immigrant families — against each other in a contest that proved far more dramatic than many anticipated. Anisimova, seeded sixth, appeared to be on the verge of a painful upset when she lost her serve and found herself trailing 3-1 in the third set.
It was a difficult moment for a player who made history a year ago for the wrong reasons, becoming the first competitor in over a century to lose a Wimbledon final by a 6-0, 6-0 scoreline. Another crushing defeat seemed possible as Kenin — now ranked 105th in the world and far removed from the form that earned her the Australian Open title in 2020 — began to gain momentum.
But Anisimova channeled her frustration vocally on court, and that emotional release appeared to reignite her game. She clawed back to level the set at 3-3, then dominated the tiebreak from start to finish, clinching the match when Kenin sent a service return into the net to end it 10-3 in the breaker.
Speaking courtside after the match, Anisimova reflected on the emotional rollercoaster she had just endured. “Some moments were really awful and I’m really glad to be in the third round. Sofia is such a tough opponent and she’s such a fighter,” she said.
Anisimova will next face 26th seed Madison Keys, another American, with a berth in the fourth round on the line.
