In one of the hottest days of the tournament so far, Amanda Anisimova advanced to the fourth round of the Australian Open, defeating American Peyton Stearns. 6–1, 6–4 at the Margaret Court Arena in one hour and 11 minutes.
The meeting brought together momentum and opportunity. Stearns, ranked No. 68 in the world, was playing in the third round at Melbourne Park for the first time in her third appearance at the Australian Open, while Anisimova was in outstanding form after reaching back-to-back finals at Wimbledon and US Open last season.
Anisimova weathered the early pressure, saving a break point in the opening game before breaking serve for a 2-0 lead. From there, she took control of the court. Taking the ball on the rise, Anisimova rushed Stearns, robbing her of time and space. A second break pushed him forward 5–1and the opening set quickly slipped away as the weight of Anisimova’s shot proved overwhelming.
Photo credit: AP
In the second set, Stearns secured her serve and held it more consistently. Anisimova went ahead 5–2but Stearns fought back with a match point and broke serve, narrowing the gap to 5–4. Anisimova finished the match with a forehand winner, booking her place in the final round 16.
Statistically, the match reflected Anisimova’s authority. She struck 14 winners in six of Stearns, won 76 percentage of points after her first serve, and received more than half of the points on the return.
After the match, Anisimova – who lives and trains in Miami – spoke about managing the extreme heat.
“Just staying hydrated the day before, the day of is really important. “Ice bath,” she said.
“We always try and prepare as best we can. I think the only difference is with the water and also on the field using the ice. We don’t really have very long vacations.
“I felt like I was really rushed today trying to fit everything into every change. It’s important to keep feeding and staying calm so I don’t waste my energy on emotions and things like that.”
With her aggressive play and ability to take her time, Anisimova proved herself once
