Amanda Anisimova: Who is the 17-year-old French Open quarter-finalist taking on Halep?
Tom Webber at Roland Garros
June 5, 2019 06:00 MYT
June 5, 2019 06:00 MYT
Amanda Anisimova defeated qualifier Aliona Bolsova on Monday to become the youngest French Open quarter-finalist in 13 years.
Not since Nicole Vaidisova's run to the semi-finals in 2006 has someone so inexperienced reached the last eight at Roland Garros.
Anisimova is also the youngest to reach the quarter-finals of any major since Belinda Bencic at the 2014 US Open.
Next up for the 17-year-old American is reigning French Open champion Simona Halep on Wednesday, so who is she and how has she got to this stage?
Second Roland-Garros tournament. First quarter-final.@AnisimovaAmanda is into the last 8 in Paris with a 6-3 6-0 win over Bolsova. https://t.co/bh0uXLknVq#RG19 pic.twitter.com/svMmCUcJlk — Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 3, 2019
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THE EARLY YEARS
Anisimova was born to Russian parents – her father Konstantin was initially her coach, though she now works with Jaime Cortes – in New Jersey on August 31, 2001 and moved to Miami when she was just three.
She won her first international junior title at the prestigious Abierto Juvenil Mexicano – just her second appearance at the Grade A level – in 2015 while unseeded and just 14, beating third seed Katie Swan in the final.
Anisimova enjoyed her first deep run at Roland Garros the following year, reaching the final of the girls' singles but losing to Switzerland's Rebeka Masarova in straight sets.
She fell in qualifying for the 2016 US Open and after losing three finals on the ITF circuit she received a wildcard for the 2017 French Open as part of an arrangement between the French Tennis Federation and United States Tennis Association.
Anisimova won the first set but ended up losing to Kurumi Nara 3-6 7-5 6-4 in the opening round, and upon returning to the junior level she clinched the US Open girls' singles title.
In just her 5th pro event, 15yo @AnisimovaAmanda is runner-up at the @USTAProCircuit Challenger in Indian Harbour Beach. Congrats! #USTennis pic.twitter.com/KMkGp3Wv33 — USTA (@usta) April 16, 2017
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PRO BREAKTHROUGH
Anisimova reached the semi-finals of a 125K series event at Indian Wells in March 2018 only to lose to former world number five and French Open finalist Sara Errani, a performance that was sufficient to earn a wildcard for the Premier Mandatory event at the same location the following week.
The teenager defeated Pauline Parmentier and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova before claiming the biggest victory of her career, shocking world number nine Petra Kvitova 6-2 6-4.
Don't look now, Amanda... But the 16-year-old American Amanda Anisimova is the youngest player to reach the 4R in Indian Wells since 2005. Defeats Petra Kvitova 6-2 6-4 #BNPPO18 pic.twitter.com/H4bFuWZLCM — BNP Paribas Open (@BNPPARIBASOPEN) March 11, 2018
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However, a fractured right foot forced her to withdraw ahead of a second-round meeting with Garbine Muguruza at the Miami Open and six weeks in a protective boot interrupted her rapid rise.
Anisimova returned after four months out and played at the US Open, where she fell to Taylor Townsend in the first round.
Unperturbed, she followed it up by reaching her first final on the WTA Tour in Hiroshima last September and although Hsieh Su-wei denied her the trophy she broke the top 100 for the first time.
FIRST TITLE AND ROLAND GARROS RUN
Anisimova upset 11th seed Aryna Sabalenka en route to the Australian Open fourth round this year, where eventual runner-up Kvitova avenged her Indian Wells loss to the American.
Despite failing to replicate her performance from the previous year at Indian Wells, Anisimova claimed her maiden WTA Tour title in Bogota in April. She had not won a single clay-court match at that level prior to the tournament.
@AnisimovaAmanda is your @CopaWTABogota champion! Defeats Sharma 4-6, 6-4, 6-1! pic.twitter.com/OnfPqvWTs4 — WTA (@WTA) April 14, 2019
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After failing to qualify for the Madrid Open, Anisimova was beaten by the in-form Kiki Bertens in the second round at the Internazionali d'Italia and moved up to a career-high 51st in the rankings.
The 17-year-old kicked off her campaign at Roland Garros by beating Harmony Tan, before once more getting the better of Sabalenka in the second round.
She defeated Irina-Camelia Begu and Bolsova without dropping a set to earn a shot at defending champion and world number three Halep – the biggest match of her career.