New York (AFP) – Amanda Anisimova felt she didn’t “fight hard enough” in her US Open final loss to Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday and admitted to suffering a recurrence of nerves in her second Grand Slam final. The 24-year-old American, runner-up at Wimbledon in July, again fell short in her bid for a breakthrough major title after losing 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) to reigning champion and world number one Sabalenka.
Anisimova caused problems for Sabalenka with her powerful game but could not maintain a consistent level against her more experienced Belarusian rival. “Losing in two finals is great but it is also super hard. I didn’t fight hard enough for my dreams today,” said Anisimova. “I didn’t win today, so of course I didn’t do enough. That’s just the reality, and I have to accept that. I feel like if I fought harder, then maybe I would have given myself more of a chance, but I feel like I was really kind of in the back seat today. I just felt like throughout the match I wasn’t playing my best tennis.”
After a traumatic 6-0, 6-0 loss to Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon, Anisimova said she was “frozen by nerves” at the All England Club. It is an aspect of her game she is continually trying to prove as she challenges for the sport’s biggest prizes. “I feel like with finals I have a lot of nerves, and it’s something I’m trying to work on, but I just wish I played more aggressive,” said Anisimova. “Of course, she (Sabalenka) was playing amazing. She was playing very aggressive and doing all the right things, so she made it very difficult for me today.”
Anisimova had her chances in the first set against Sabalenka after digging herself out of an early hole with two service breaks for a 3-2 lead. But Anisimova couldn’t consolidate that position, finding it difficult to pick up the ball with the roof closed on Arthur Ashe Stadium after a torrential downpour in the area. Sabalenka won the next four games to take the set. “I haven’t played on the court during the day with the roof closed, and it was literally, like, white, and I couldn’t see the ball when I was serving,” said Anisimova. “That was a huge shock to my system,” she added. “It was extremely frustrating for me.”
Anisimova was repeatedly playing catch-up in the second set and although she broke Sabalenka with the top seed serving for the match, Anisimova’s challenge fizzled out in the tiebreak. “Making it to the final is obviously really special, but it would have been a dream come true to make it all the way,” said Anisimova. “I hope I can keep working really hard to give myself more opportunities to be in more and more finals.”
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