New York (AFP) – Amanda Anisimova credited the power of positive thinking as she fought back from a set down to beat Naomi Osaka and reach the US Open final on Thursday. The American eighth seed clawed her way into a second consecutive Grand Slam showpiece with a tense 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 win over four-time major champion Osaka.
“I felt like I wasn’t playing my tennis because I was nervous, and I was letting the stress get to me a little bit, but then I tried to dig deep and find my game,” said the 24-year-old Anisimova. “I just keep telling myself that I can do it, and I believe in myself. I keep saying that over and over again, not just in the match, but the whole day. But I really try and tell my brain, or I guess I feel like manifest it or visualize it, then it will happen. I just try and stay upbeat and positive.”
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She could have been forgiven for feeling the odds were not in her favour after Osaka won the tie-break at the end of the first set, in which Anisimova paid for her inconsistency. Only once before had Osaka lost at a major after taking the opening set, but Anisimova turned to recent experiences to draw belief that she could plot a way back into the match.
“Today, I could have easily said, ‘Oh, she’s playing better than me, and I can’t really do anything,'” said Anisimova. “I really tried to find a way any way I could to stay in the match, even though it was extremely tough, and she was playing really great tennis. I have really worked on myself to be able to handle those moments and to believe in myself, even when it feels like there is nothing to believe in, in a way, like when you’re not playing that well.”
Her character was severely tested by a 6-0, 6-0 drubbing at the hands of Iga Swiatek in the Wimbledon final in July. Rather than let it scar her, Anisimova has made her mental fortitude a vital asset. “I have really done a better job of that, and especially since the Wimbledon final. I think I have really shifted with my attitude, as well,” she said.
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